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VOLUME:117 No.192, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

SPORTS: ATHLETICS ICON MOURNS AS MOTHER DIES

ALICIA WALLACE

See page eight

As nation remembers Dorian dead, PM concedes:

We have much more left to do

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

ONE year after Hurricane Dorian bulldozed its way through Abaco and Grand Bahama, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis acknowledged the frustration survivors have felt in trying to repair their lives and apologised that many things have taken too long to complete.

Last week, Dr Minnis said he was pleased with the clean up work that has taken place on the devastated islands, but yesterday his telling admission was one that echoed what many have said for the past few months.

Residents in Abaco have

expressed displeasure that utilities have still not been fully restored, while others in Grand Bahama have similar grievances.

“It will take many years before Abaco and Grand Bahama are fully restored,” Dr Minnis said in a televised address yesterday to mark the first anniversary of the deadly storm. “I fully acknowledge the frustration at how long many things have taken.

“We pledge to communicate to you in a timelier and more effective manner. On behalf of the government, I acknowledge what has not been done and the long and difficult road ahead.”

SEE PAGE THREE

MP’S BROTHER’S KEY ROLE IN SOLVING TAX DISPUTE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net AN MP’s brother succeeded where all others failed by resolving a Harbour Island developer’s $400,000 tax dispute with the Bahamian government, Tribune Business can reveal.

Court documents disclose that Michael Johnson, brother of Stephen “Hank” Johnson, the central and south Eleuthera MP, was

instrumental in resolving a potential liability that had dogged 4M Harbour Island Ltd and its principal, Michael Wiener, for six to eight months prior to his involvement.

An electrician by profession, Michael Johnson was described by Mr Wiener as his “go-to-guy” for removing all obstacles facing his Briland Residences and Marina project.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

MOTORCADE OF MEMORIES A HURRICANE Dorian remembrance motorcade was held yesterday, starting from Arawak Cay and ending at Montagu Beach. See more photographs on page two.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

UNION HAS DOUBTS ON SCHOOLS REOPENING SHORTAGES

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net

PRESIDENT of Bahamas Union of Teachers Belinda Wilson has expressed doubt that the Ministry of Education is ready for the 2020 school year.

She said after meeting with her team, there

are too many unanswered questions.

She spoke to The Tribune a day after Minister of Education Jeff Lloyd announced public and private schools will now reopen on October 5 as opposed to September 21, with virtual learning only for the islands of New Providence, Abaco and Eleuthera at first.

Yesterday, Mrs Wilson

said a draft plan from education officials left her executive team with many questions, adding she was blindsided by Monday’s announcement of an October 5 school start date.

“I had my full executive team, along with the management union, spend those two days looking at, and discussing, the Ministry of Education’s draft plan.

SEE PAGE FOUR

CHINESE: IT’S TOO RISKY HERE

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A NUMBER of The Pointe’s Chinese workers demonstrated outside the Chinese Embassy in Nassau yesterday due to worries about the COVID-19 situation in The Bahamas and a desire to return home

CHINESE workers stage a protest yesterday. since the project is nearly complete.

Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy Yin Haigang told reporters that about 200 workers are trying to return home. He noted some have been in the country about six months to more than one year, hence the workers are “very anxious” to go back to China.

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE FIVE

DELAYING MORE TESTS

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A GLOBAL shortage of COVID-19 testing reagents has limited health officials’ capacity to conduct wider testing in the country, Health Minister Renward Wells said yesterday.

This is just one of the many reasons why there has not been wider testing, he said.

SEE PAGE FIVE

TECHNOLOGY THE PHONE YOU CAN FOLD - WITH A $2K PRICE TAG

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Wednesday, September 2, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

A MOTORCADE was held yesterday to pay tribute to those who died during Hurricane Dorian. The motorcade started from Arawak Cay and finished at Montagu Beach.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/ Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, September 2, 2020, PAGE 3

We have much more left to do from page one

“We have made some progress, but not enough.

There is still so much, much more to do,” Dr Minnis also said earlier in his address.

Calling yesterday a day of remembrance, the Prime Minister said people were still grieving over the loss of loved ones.

“We remember all of those who lost their lives because of the destruction and ravages of Hurricane Dorian. We continue to pray for their souls even as we honour their memory.

“We remember and continue to pray for those who lost loved ones and who are still grieving. Grief is one of the hardest human experiences. We miss our loved ones with a depth of sorrow so overwhelming that it is hard to bear,” Dr Minnis said.

“We remember the survivors of Hurricane Dorian, who are still rebuilding their lives and their communities on Abaco, throughout the Abaco cays, and on Grand Bahama. We remember and we will never forget the pain, the suffering and the devastation from this monster storm, from which it will take time to recover on many levels.

“Bahamians and

residents suffered lifechanging injuries and mental trauma from what they endured. On behalf of myself and my wife, Patricia, and the government and people of our country, I again offer condolences and prayers to all who lost a loved one during Hurricane Dorian. All of their lives were important.”

He continued: “Each one of our brothers and sisters who died was a special person in their families and communities. I ask all Bahamians to keep praying for their families. Pray that God’s mercy will comfort them in time. Hurricane Dorian was the strongest storm to ever strike our Bahamas.”

There still remains uncertainty over exactly how many people are missing following Hurricane Dorian.

Last October, Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell said 1,208 people were still unaccounted for following Hurricane Dorian. However the next day, National Security Minister Marvin Dames clarified that police have reports of just 282 people still missing.

In May, the Disaster Reconstruction Authority held a mass burial of 55 Dorian victims.

And then in June, Assistant Commissioner of Police Solomon Cash said missing persons reports were only officially filed for 33 people, as he called on people who may still have missing loved ones to come forward to police, no matter their immigration status.

That same month, former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said the government has not explained how hundreds of names were culled from lists of people missing following the Category Five storm. He also said responsibility for missing and dead persons was spread across multiple government agencies to ensure clarity but that this instead “proved a recipe for disaster.”

The official death toll stands at 74.

While many grapple with immense sorrow over loved ones, others have struggled with survival and having to rebuild their lives, which were ripped apart by the monster storm.

Dorian first struck Abaco on September 1 with maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, gusts of 220 miles per hour and storm surge in excess of 20 feet.

The storm then moved to Grand Bahama, where it hovered for nearly two days.

It caused $3.4bn in losses and damage.

(Marsh Harbour) by Commonwealth Bank. They were on the front street facing the water. It was a two-story building and it was an apartment joined on to the two-story building,” she told The Tribune yesterday.

“They lived in that and when the lash of water came in, it took the whole building. It just left chunks of cement laying down so they were both washed in the back. They both were there.”

Recalling her final moments with the siblings, Mrs Bethel said the last time she saw them alive was

around 5.30 pm on August 31, 2019.

Her aunt’s last words to her were, “We’ll be fine.”

She said: “The last time it was about 5.30 and I went and took the last of the grocery and I was talking to her about the hurricane and telling her about it because they didn’t want to leave.

“My uncle did not want to leave and go anywhere else and she would’ve gone but she wasn’t going to go and leave him so she wanted to stick with him.

“So I was telling her if the hurricane came and they needed to get out of their apartment they could go to the next empty house which belonged to them and she told ‘we’ll be just fine’ .

That was her last words to me and that was on the 31st at about 5.30 and then Dorian came.”

Months earlier, Mrs Bethel said she remembers her aunt speaking about how their deaths would impact each other, saying she could not understand how the two could live without each other.

She told The Tribune: “It was weird how just months before that, she had talked to me and told me that she didn’t know how she would manage if she died first and left my uncle because he depended on her and then she didn’t know how she would manage without him if he died first.”

Speaking about her

NIECE TELLS OF MISSING FAMILY LOST IN DORIAN

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net DORIAN survivor Emily Bethel says she misses the voices of her aunt and uncle and their sweet personalities the most now that they are gone.

Juanita Lowe and Lee Roy Lowe were killed after the Category Five Storm swept their home away.

Mrs Bethel said the siblings, who were close, had decided to ride out the storm together in the home in which they lived.

“They were both living on the front street of

THE HOME where the siblings sought shelter in the storm.

The areas in Abaco and Grand Bahama struck directly by the storm looked like war zones afterward.

Dorian tore homes from their foundations and destroyed businesses. Boats and shipping containers were flung across neighbourhoods and business districts like pieces of paper in the wind.

Water, electrical, and telecommunications infrastructure were ripped apart.

These will take time to rebuild, Dr Minnis said.

“It will take time to rebuild this vital infrastructure, including the rebuilding of the utility infrastructure in Central Abaco. Our work to restore Abaco and Grand Bahama has been constant in partnership with the residents of the various communities and our international partners. We have made some progress, but not enough.

“There is still so much, much more to do. When we saw the destruction Dorian caused, we immediately knew that no small island developing nation such as the Bahamas could respond on its own. We made the decision to welcome in the largest contingency of international partners in Bahamian history in response to this extraordinary natural disaster.

“They worked along with the government and Bahamian NGOs and Bahamian volunteers. We understood that the best way for our people to get the help they needed in the shortest time was through a partnership of the Bahamas government, Bahamian NGOs and volunteers and our international partners.”

He thanked Bahamians and Bahamian groups along with the international agencies, NGOs and volunteers who helped in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, and who are still working at restoration.

Dr Minnis said the government through the DRA continues to do the heavy lifting.

“The government continues to do the hard work to restore and to rebuild the communities still hurting badly on this painful day of remembrance.

“The Disaster Reconstruction Authority and the Office of the Prime Minister in Grand Bahama are through various media communicating some of the progress and the work that has been accomplished in the last year. The hard and painstaking work continues to restore the devastated communities.”

The resilience of Bahamians is what will allow the

country to pull through, Dr Minnis said.

“We must rebuild for a new time in our history as we address with resilience and fortitude the many effects of climate change, including more powerful storms and rising sea levels.

I have no doubt that we will build back better.

“But, it will take time.

Each time we faced a crisis in the past as Bahamians we put our heads down and got to work together – black and white, rich and poor, young and older. We are doing this again, even as we are also facing the many challenges of the COVID19 pandemic.

“We are strong when unified. There is no challenge we cannot overcome.

Many hardworking Bahamians transformed these bare limestone rock islands generation after generation into one of the more dynamic and successful small island states in the world and in the region.

“With God’s blessing and the continued work of citizens, the government, businesses, churches, civic groups, and international partners, Abaco and Grand Bahama will emerge in time from this even more prosperous and dynamic than they were before,” the Prime Minister said.

LEE ROY LOWE, left, and Juanita Lowe, who were both lost in Hurricane Dorian. memories of the duo, Mrs Bethel yesterday described her aunt as a loving woman who loved to sing biblical songs.

“I miss her singing the old hymns as she passed out the house, you could hear her voice as she walked.

She was known in the stores and KFC for singing as she waited,” she said.

“If a child walked in, she automatically started singing, ‘Jesus loves me, this I know the Bible tells me so.’

She loved the Lord and was never ashamed to tell it to everyone.”

Her uncle, she said, was a storyteller.

“He liked to tell his stories and figured other

people had all day,” she said. “Nita and Lee – these two stuck together. They had their own way of life and lived everyday as they came. They were two of a kind.”

Dorian hit Abaco on September 1, 2019, as a Category Five storm, with yesterday marking the storm’s first year anniversary.

The storm’s official death toll is 74, with the majority of that number being Abaco residents.

Many more people remain missing.

Yesterday, residents of Abaco who now live in New Providence participated in a special

motorcade in honour of all that was lost during Hurricane Dorian.

Event organiser Melinda Williams said the event was planned early yesterday morning for those who were unable to be present in Abaco to commemorate the historic day.

“Today, we have families here who have lost loved ones. All of us went through a monstrous storm and we are just grateful for all those who are here and we could come together in unity to celebrate today.

“Because this is a day of celebration because even though we have lost so much, we want to first give God thanks.”

THOMPSON: DORIAN OUR MOST DEVASTATING NATURAL DISASTER

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

DORIAN is shaping up to be the costliest hurricane ever as government spending continues to climb well into the millions a year after the disaster.

Minister of State for Grand Bahama Senator Kwasi Thompson describes the storm as “undoubtedly the most devastating natural disaster” ever seen in The Bahamas.

“One year has now passed since the most disastrous Hurricane hit the Bahamas, and government,” he said yesterday, adding that storm surge impacted some 400 businesses and about 8,000 to 9,000 homes.

Minister Thompson also remembered the lives lost and their families, and the “heroic and invaluable” work of those persons before, during, and after the storm.

A year later, he said the rebuilding continues in

Grand Bahama. Economic rebuilding is a major priority of the government, which has provided over $3m in grant/loan assistance to the business sector through the Small Business Development Centre.

Senator Thompson also indicated that since the hurricane, the Government has provided the largest economic concessions in its history for both economic recovery zones, in Grand Bahama and Abaco where a record number of food and construction items were made duty and VAT free. Additionally, residents have been able to replace cars destroyed completely duty-free.

To facilitate rebuilding, he noted that the government extended concessions such as VAT exemptions to the end of 2020 to assist business owners, particularly in construction.

A year following the disaster, the government continues to provide assistance to Bahamians, of whom have been displaced,

and unemployed.

Mr Thompson indicated that persons have received unemployment assistance and unemployment benefits from NIB, and social assistance from the Department of Social Services.

Mr Thompson reported that as of May 29, 2020, NIB Grand Bahama approved 1,684 unemployment benefit applications, of which payments totalled $1,563,065.59. And 892 unemployment assistance applications, of which payments totalled at $1,058,403.08.

To date, the Department of Social Services has processed 956 clients for rent assistance, and paid $1,798,693.00 in rental payments to landlords; 925 clients for appliances and 601 clients for beds, issuing $332,542.07 in vouchers for appliances and beds.

Dorian’s impact was a major blow to the Tourism Sector, just when the government had two major projects in the pipeline for Grand Bahama.

These were the Carnival Port Project in East Grand Bahama and the Grand Lucayan Hotel sale and redevelopment agreement with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and the ITM Group.

According to Minister Thompson, Carnival has given its reassurance to proceed with its project in Grand Bahama.

The project announced in February 2019 was touted as the largest cruise port project by Carnival anywhere in the world, able to accommodate up to 6 vessels. And is projected to create 2,000 jobs on GB - 1,000 jobs during construction and between 500 and 1,000 after its completion.

Minister Thompson also noted that a later year the government has completed one of the largest rebuilding and restoration projects to schools in Grand Bahama by awarding some $4.5m in contracts for major reconstruction at 15 schools. It is estimated that the project

will provide nearly 300 construction jobs.

“The expenditure of this project represents the largest investment in school reconstruction for the island,” he said.

The phased renovation at the Rand Memorial Hospital, which sustained severe flood damage during Dorian, is also continuing to the tune of some $21m.

Dorian Home repairs on Grand Bahama is also continuing through the Disaster Reconstruction Authority’s Small Home Repair programme, which has provided $3,257,170 to Bahamian companies for the repair of homes.

And since the hurricane, over $9m was spent with Bahamian contractors for debris removal.

The airport is another matter of priority for the government, Mr Thompson indicated. He noted that discussions are continuing with Hutchison and the Grand Bahama Port Authority.

The government is also looking to complete the reconstruction of approximately 8 miles of road in East, Central, and West Grand Bahama at cost of some $6.1m.

Senator Thompson noted that rebuilding will continue in East Grand Bahama, including the McLeans Town Administrative Office Building, which housed the Royal Bahama Police Force, as well as ferry service offices, supporting inter-island travel between Grand Bahama and Abaco.

He also mentioned projects that have been completed, including the rebuilding of Fishing Hole Road, hurricane repairs to the Harold DeGregory Government Complex, and post-Dorian temporary repairs at the Freeport Post Office, which is expected to undergo some $3.3m in construction.

“Work will commence this month for the full restoration of the GB Post Office,” he said.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, September 2, 2020

More than 200 cases of COVID-19 in uniformed services

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THERE have been more than 200 COVID-19 cases collectively in the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defence Force, National Security Minister Marvin Dames said yesterday.

He said of the 102 confirmed cases in the police force, six of those are still currently active.

As it relates to the RBDF, Mr Dames said there have been some 103 cases recorded within that agency to date.

He added: “Defence force total cases are around 103. That includes the recruits and that’s 103 to date. So, those numbers when you look at it from an overall perspective, they’re not bad and given the work that these officers do.

“As I said, the commissioner told me yesterday that they have six active cases. They had a total of 102 and the defence force had a total of 103 since COVID has started, since the beginning of the COVID period to now and most of those COVID cases are asymptomatic which are a little bit more difficult to manage.”

This comes after RBDF officials revealed on the weekend that the agency had discontinued new entry training due to the “quick spread of COVID-19” among its latest intake of recruits.

“Steps have been taken to sanitise the training facility, lodging, classrooms and other common spaces occupied

THE TRIBUNE

or utilised by the recruits and training staff,” the RBDF said in a statement on Saturday.

In an effort to minimise COVID-19 exposure among law enforcement agencies, Mr Dames said officials are continuously looking at preventive measures to deal with the COVID-19 threat.

“The plan that these agencies have in place has been working and what we have been doing from day one is trying our utmost best to avoid a massive outbreak and I think we have been successful to date,” he said. “…I mean this is a very dynamic thing and these agencies are constantly looking at how they can improve upon their preventive measures.”

Mr Dames also spoke about recent cases involving law enforcement officers being brought to court on charges.

He said everyone should be treated equally under the law, no matter who they are.

“We police at the consent of the Bahamian people and if the Bahamian people see that the police, the defence force and the prison, immigration and customs, our law enforcement agencies are operating and are being treated differently then how do you think that would look?

“So, this is a clear testament that the agencies are doing what they are supposed to be doing so whether you are in uniform or whether you sit in some high office somewhere else, you are subject to the same laws as the man on the streets.”

UNION HAS DOUBTS ON SCHOOLS REOPENING from page one

“There were so many questions we had that were not answered,” she said.

“So the opening for October 5, we were hearing for the first time, as everyone else was hearing it in the media from the minister’s presentation.

The only time we heard of that date was when we learned that we would go virtual from September 21 and then October 5 shift to face-to-face. That was it.”

She is also upset that education officials plan to resume national exams this month, saying her union gave a viable alternative that would keep all stakeholders safe. She also gave examples of what other countries and entities were doing when faced with the same thing.

“The resumption of the BJC and the BGCSE

‘So the opening for October 5, we were hearing for the first time, as everyone else was hearing it in the media from the minister’s presentation. The only time we heard of that date was when we learned that we would go virtual from September 21 and then October 5 shift to face-to-face. That was it.’ examinations was not discussed with the union,” she said. “However, I believe that the ministry should cancel the sitting of the examination and use predicted or forecasted grades from the teachers for them to be able to award students their certificates in the various areas. This was recommended.

“The purpose of still holding the exams, the ministry claims, is for students to use for colleges and universities, but UB has waived those requirements for entrance and

other universities have already started online. They also said it was to be used for scholarships, but there were no new scholarships awarded this year for international students. The UK has an education accreditation centre and they do the accreditation for national or exit examinations for 160 countries and 10,000 schools and they used the forecasted grades from the teachers.”

Mrs Wilson said with COVID-19 numbers increasing in the nation, she cannot understand

TWO MORE DEATHS RECORDED THE Ministry of Health reported 59 additional COVID-19 cases yesterday and two additional deaths.

Of the 59 new cases, 49 are in New Providence, two are in Grand Bahama, along with three each in Abaco and Acklins and one each in Long Island and Eleuthera.

The latest deaths include a 50-yearold New Providence woman who died yesterday morning and a 60-year-old New Providence man who died on August 25. This brings the COVID-19 death toll to 46.

Fifty cases were reported on Monday night along with one additional death of a 77-year-old man who died that morning.

The country now has 2,276 cases, the bulk of which are in New Providence, followed by Grand Bahama.

In a case seemingly not recorded on the dashboard, the mother of Bahamian athlete Avard Moncur died at South Beach Clinic from COVID-19 yesterday. Ramona Moncur was 60 years old.

See today’s Sports section for the full story.

why the Ministry of Education is prepared to risk the health of 15,500 students to take the national exams in rooms together when they are implementing virtual learning to prevent the same.

The subject of online learning and the state of affairs in Abaco hit a raw nerve for her.

“We are unclear about what learning management system they are going to be using,” she said. “What is the platform that is going to be used? We have no information or details on that. When school closed abruptly in March, teachers were using cell phones, laptops and iPads – whatever they found that was theirs, personally.

“Now I’ve not heard the minister say that teachers will receive a laptop or device for them to work from. And, if we say that we moving into the virtual or online learning, then the pens, pencils, paper and white boards are now obsolete. So if you are telling me that I am moving into the virtual sphere, then the expectation is that you will give me my tools and those tools are laptops, tablets or iPads for me to deliver this instruction and education that you are now saying is mandatory for me to deliver.”

Abaco, as far as she is concerned, will not be ready to accept teachers coming in for this school year. She said after Hurricane Dorian devastated that island, not instructed by the ministry, some of the teachers there took students into buildings and

BAHAMAS Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff started to teach them. Her fear now is for the teachers who are supposed to travel to that island to teach students.

“You are asking 40 to 50 teachers to return to Abaco,” she said. “You are asking them to return, but who is going to pay for their tickets, the freight and duty on their vehicles and their personal items? You are asking them to return to Abaco where housing is nonexistent or where it is existing, based on the inquiries of the teachers, the rent is between $1,100 and up to $2,500 per month. When the rental allowance that we have agreed upon is only $700 a month. So

who is going to be responsible for the difference?

The schools are not ready, where are they teaching these children?”

She feels that moving from face-to-face learning to online learning warrants new policies.

“If you have been doing face-to-face learning for the last 50 years in education and you’re now transitioning to online or virtual learning, then that calls for new policies or an amendment to the policies you presently have,” the union president said.

“We are still waiting for the work from home policies; policies for signing in; class size policies and COVID policies.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, September 2, 2020, PAGE 5

Shortages delaying more tests from page one stream.

Unfortunately, because of the global pandemic, there is a shortage for the cartridges. We only got about 2,000 of those cartridges and as a result of that, we have to use it sparingly or rather we have to use it wisely.”

He added: “I think the people ought to also note that when you’re testing for COVID, it’s not just the swabs, you need the re-agents. There’s a global shortage on reagents because every country is increasing their testing and so it puts a strain on the global supply.

“So, The Bahamas is in there, we’re fighting to ensure that we get our requisite share of the reagents so we can continue to test

but all of these are a part of the overall testing programme and some of the issues as to why you may not see as much testing taking place.”

His comments come amid calls for more COVID-19 testing in the community.

On Monday, health officials recorded 50 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, pushing the nation’s count to 2217 up to that point. One additional death was also reported late Monday after a 77-year-old New Providence man died.

As of Monday, 11,165 COVID-19 tests had been completed since the start of the pandemic. Yesterday, Mr Wells said officials had brought in an RNA extractor machine to help produce a quicker turnaround time for COVID-19 test results. The machine,

he added, is currently in the process of being certified.

“We brought in a RNA, an extractor machine that was able to take out some of the manual work. The issue that we had in bringing in the RNA extractor machine is that it needed to have been certified by the company that produces the machine,” he continued.

“So, we’re in the process of certifying that so we can continue to increase the level of work that we’re getting from the national reference lab but I can tell you the national reference lab, Dr Martin and her crew and the volunteers have been doing a yeoman’s task – an exceptional job in being able to get out those results.”

Asked yesterday if officials were concerned about inefficiencies with

the GeneXpert machine given its short turn around for COVID test results, the minister replied: “The GeneXpert machine is an excellent machine and we were happy that PAHO donated those three machines to us. It gives us an excellent opportunity to do the rapid testing in certain circumstances especially for individuals that we want to get the results back very quickly and obviously we are looking at our healthcare workers and those who are on the frontlines. “…(The machines) a part of our overall capacity. It is just getting more re-agents so we can do more testing and ensuring that the machines are calibrated, the RNA extractor machines so that some of the work does not have to be done

manually so it gives us an opportunity to do more of the tests in a shorter time frame.”

In the meantime, Mr Wells said health officials will be keeping in close contact with government agencies to ensure that all of the proper health protocols are being followed.

This comes after the Ministry of Health revealed that uniform branches led the way in terms of contacts’ workplace exposure by occupation, followed by health workers and those in the category of trade, utility and construction.

He said: “You would look at an essential service like (the) police, for instance, you would find that police officers, they use a particular firearm. They turn that firearm in and then another police officer who may

come on shift and take that firearm and so we need to look at all those practices that we may have not taken into consideration to ensure that frequently touched items are always sanitised.

“When they’re moving from one individual to the next that frequently touched surfaces are always sanitised to common areas that we use in our ministries that we’re keeping them constantly sanitised and that folks are doing what they’re supposed to be doing - wearing their masks, keeping their social distance and sanitising on a consistent basis.

“So, I believe that once we do those things, we’ll be able to manage the spread of COVID much better than we have in the initial phases of this second wave.”

CHINESE: IT’S TOO RISKY HERE from page one

Yet, there are no international flights available, the embassy official said.

“On one hand their job (has) finished, on the other they are worried about the COVID-19 situation here,” he said.

“Every Chinese here in this country, many of them want to go home but you know the situation (does) not allow them to do that.

It’s a fact that some of the Chinese want to go home but there’s no international flights available.”

When The Tribune arrived at the scene yesterday morning, a group of workers were scattered across the embassy’s lawn.

Some sat down on the grass, while others were standing up, in a peaceful demonstration.

They wore face masks, hardhats and construction vests.

A few police officers were present across the street monitoring the demonstration.

After a while, an official came to the lawn to speak with the group. He and a few of the workers had an exchange, which was not in English. Mr Haigang explained the workers were expressing their concerns in that conversation.

“We expressed that we fully understand what they want to achieve,” he said.

“We said that on one hand I told them that we’re doing every effort to achieve their (departure) to China including the charter flight as I said …We’re going to in coordination with the company to improve their protection including providing the PPEs to them.”

He added the Chinese Embassy and China Construction America, The Pointe’s developer, are doing their best to arrange the workers’ return to China including coordinating a chartered flight in the near future.

Eventually, the workers left; some went on a yellow school bus.

Director of Labour John Pinder told The Tribune that the workers want to go back to China but were reportedly told flights were not available until the end of September.

“They would like to get back home but management is saying they can’t get back before the end of September but they want to go now,” Mr Pinder explained.

Regarding The Pointe project, Mr Haigang noted the development is going well and is about to finish soon.

KEMP ROAD GIVES BREAKFASTS TO THOSE IN NEED

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FREE breakfast was distributed at Kemp Road Ministries to those in need yesterday by the Gracious Givers organisation.

Volunteers were in the church’s parking lot providing food to people that came looking for a hot meal.

One of the team leaders, Julia Sands, explained the non-profit organisation was founded to feed people in various communities.

The organisation is trying to serve all communities in Nassau and has already been in Englerston and Centreville.

She added: “This is our third community that we’re doing now. We do it twice a week - Tuesdays and Thursdays. We start at 8.30am to 10.30am.

“We’re just trying to give back to the communities where we are. . .from.”

She said since starting on August 14, huge numbers have been turning out for food. About

350 people were fed the first week but the number increased to over 400 the next week.

“These are the times where we got to be our brothers and sisters keepers and people in need.

We’re just trying to give back to those in need especially in areas that we know that are hurting,” she said.

“We’re trying to give back to the children, the adults, single (parent) families, parents that don’t have the meals that they could cook. They come to get a full meal. Breakfast is the most important thing of the day.”

One 65-year-old Kemp Road resident who stopped by to get breakfast said although she uses her monthly pension to get food, she appreciated the assistance.

Nassau Village is the next community the Gracious Givers plan to go to. If you are interested in donating, please email samcarey8701@gmail. com.

CHINESE workers outside the embassy yesterday.

Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

PAGE 6, Wednesday, September 2, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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Chinese workers have had enough THE shoe is on the other foot now for The Bahamas.

Where once we were so worried about the extent of the COVID-19 virus that we imposed a travel ban on people coming from China in February, now Chinese people are worrying about the safety of living here.

A demonstration by Chinese workers from The Pointe outside the Chinese Embassy yesterday was so out of the ordinary that it shows the extent of health fears.

An embassy representative said that the workers were “very anxious” to go back to China, with about 200 trying to return home.

There will of course be unsympathetic voices saying let them go and hire Bahamian workers instead, but that is irrelevant in this case with their work on The Pointe almost done. This is a matter of getting people home. Other countries, such as the UK and the US, have flown out citizens, so why not China?

We would do well to recall that the first hotspot for this virus was in China, and now people look at it as a safer place than here in The Bahamas. That’s not to point fingers of blame anywhere as some politicians elsewhere have done for their own benefit, but rather to remind ourselves that here in our community are representatives of a country that has won the battle we are now fighting.

Perhaps a goodwill effort to assist with finding a way to return the workers home would not go amiss – in the hope of being able to draw upon the expertise

of a nation that is now ahead of us in the race to stop COVID-19.

Mr Fix It

MICHAEL Johnson seems to be a remarkable fellow.

He appears to be an all purpose Mr Fix It. Got a problem with your electrics? He’ll don his electrician hat to sort it out.

Got a problem with a $400,000 tax dispute with the government? Apparently, Mr Johnson is also your man.

Mr Johnson – the brother of Central and South Eleuthera MP Stephen “Hank” Johnson – was, according to court documents, the “go-to-guy” to removing obstacles for the 4M Harbour Island Ltd project.

4M’s principal, Michael Weiner, said of Mr Johnson: “He basically does whatever needs to happen.”

The tax issue had apparently rumbled on for months before Mr Johnson stepped in to sort it out, and the details have emerged as part of a court dispute between 4M and its former project manager. Never mind calling on Ryan Pinder, 4M’s attorney, who is a former Financial Services Minister, send for Michael!

The exact nature of the tax dispute is unclear, as is the manner in which Mr Johnson was able to get it resolved. He did not return our call when we sought to ask him more, but fixing so many things must keep him busy.

Law context EDITOR, The Tribune.

I MUST, outrightly, disclose that I myself have neither been informed nor benefitted by a personal read concerning “conduct” and its “code” – as expounded upon, evidently, in 1955 England, the Lord High Chancellor, Viscount Kilmuir, at the time the highest ranking judicial officer in Britain (see The Graduate’s Letter to The Tribune of Monday, August 10th, 2020). I have not had the privilege yet.

However, I suspect that what must be a settled, prevailing course of direction on “conduct” and its “code”, within the given legal context, is caught up in the missionary tenor and tone the letter-writer (Graduate) presents. And that, for me, exemplifies and evidences why the written (native) organic Westminster Constitutional Vision and Architecture (in its global application) has its Privy Council and highest court within The State’s Supreme Court – where Sovereignty, Independence, and Meanings must find the highest protection.

Incidentally, conventional wisdom is nothing if not contextual!

Within the peculiar (Covering) Westminster Constitutional State, where base values are of undergirding quality, requiring of us a Response, Justice Dame Joan Sawyer is at home! For “home” means something. Being “home” evokes and influences “conduct” of coherent (not coded) Standard. I know, being the compatriot that I am. So, I find it utmostly

insulting and objectionable when “trash talking” is the term used by the Graduate to reference any statements she makes when expressing her views. She has not moved out of her lane in any sense. Moreover, her conduct is tolerably cultural. Bahamians understand her. She is acceptable too.

Quite likely, if I support the political party of the PM or even the PM himself, I would not be in agreement with her. But she is who she is, both locally and professionally.

Therefore, for all the right reasons, I am prepared to listen, and respectfully to hear her out.

As for myself, enough has been expounded upon to my satisfaction by luminaries of The Bahamas Bar to substantiate the constitutionality of the PM’s Public Emergency actions under his government’s use of the Emergencies Powers Act, Laws of The Bahamas.

It is of special interest to me, having already expressed in my writing (intellectual property) the considered opinion that legal precedent was established in the Judgment of Nuremberg... meaning, of course, that historic trial of the four German jurists accused of legalising Nazi atrocities during the course of the second World War… that I am prepared to state, furthermore, that the relevant Articles of the Bahamian Constitution (Arts.19-29) touching the matter of Emergency Powers are but a codification of Natural Law which our Sabbat obligations (basic law) comprise.

Notably, also, it is of undoubtable bolstering

effect that in any final judgment (of a Civil War!) the faithful-righteous people are called to respond from both sides of the divide (Matt. 25:31-34). These possibilities are within an immense internal expanse, where “the eyes are sound like a lamp”.

Let us consider this Natural Law issue as it compares with what transpires in the 1960 novel by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird. In its 1962 screen adaptation, when Gregory Peck, portraying the heroic Atticus Finch, accepts his being chosen by compatriots (competent authority) to pull the trigger on that staggering dog making its way down the old, dusty road, it met its true standard (i.e. obedience rather than sacrifice!) as given under Natural Law. That action taken by Atticus was right action; it was both lawful and valid.

So, we are able to see the point which Sabbat makes in Natural Law only if our eyes are open to a world of good and bad, right and wrong, darkness and light.

And there is nothing awkward or obnoxious in any of it. Sabbat, as given strategy and responsible carefulness presents, nor causes, difficulty in usage. And evidence shows that Sabbat is not obsolete!

To conclude, it is safe to say that in the visionary Constitutional State, Emergency Orders are of a most basic, fundamental necessity. And it helps if we were to understand such law in the true context.

GLADYS (BROWN) MANUEL Nassau, August 29, 2020.

The rise of Renward EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE Prime Minister recently appointed the Hon Renward Wells (FNMSouth Beach) to serve as Minister of Health. Wells has come a long way since he, Andre Rollins, et al, patched together a rookie political action group some years ago. Wells has proven to be a political chameleon and made of durable material. He and Rollins were elected on the PLP ticket in 2012. They both fell afoul of the then Christie led PLP and the rest is history.

Rollins has been obliged to retire from front line politics and before doing so he was brutally slapped in his face by Madam Loretta Butler-Turner. Wells was obliged to resign as Parliamentary Secretary within the Ministry of Works & Utilities after it was revealed that he signed a Letter of Intent outside of his pay grade.

Now with another general election just around the corner who all may be offering or being offered for either re-election or election? What do we have to say about the way we are governed and the people who profess to love the unwashed Bahamian masses so much that they need to serve either in the House of Assembly or appointed to the Senate?

When Wells was appointed Minister of Health, the PM, said, inter alia, that Wells was a go getter and a doer. Is that quite true? He was once Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. I am sure that he did a good job in that portfolio, but is there any empirical evidence of what he would have done? He never did get to the bottom of the BAMSI fiasco.

Next he was appointed Minister of Transport & Local Government. Nothing of value, in my opinion, was achieved over there.

The renting and leasing of Government owned taxi and omnibus plates continue unabated. Long lines continue at the Road Traffic Department and it has been alleged that millions of dollars would have gone missing over the years. If an internal

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net or external forensic audit were ever done, the public has yet to be informed of the same. Yet, the PM says that Wells is a go getter?

Local government for New Providence has been an issue for discussion for decades but it seems as if no administration is or has ever been serious about its implementation. Why? Are the residents of New Providence not capable of making community based decisions for themselves? Are we so infantile and child-like that the adult politicians must make decisions for us?

Wells was also in charge of this BUT he stated publicly that he did not know if the residents of New Providence were ready for local government. Of course, he offered some nonsensical excuses but that is all that they were...nonsensical. Now, he is Minister of Health without an ounce of medical training or background.

Yes, we have had several previous Ministers of Health who were not medical doctors. In the midst of the deadliest pandemic in almost 100 years I contend that a medical personnel should have replaced Minnis or he should have continued to act as Minister of Health. Wells has yet to speak definitively about his newest portfolio as one would have expected.

Anyway the jury is out and we will give him the benefit of the doubt.

The advent and continued lingering of the Corona has demonstrated that there is weakness and disunity within the cabinet ranks.

No one seems to know who is wagging the tail. Is it the dog or is it the tail? Who is in charge? It is obvious from public statements that the PM does not consult with all cabinet members much less his MPs in their regular parliamentary caucuses. Travis Robinson says one thing. Marvin Dames says another and my favourite FNM minister says yet something else. Minnis

meanwhile issues half baked proclamations today and discards them tomorrow.

Our style of governance leaves much to be desired.

It is now clear that the administration has and probably never had a plan of action. 99.5% of their time has been spent reacting to issues which if there had been a national plan in place, could have resolved those issues in short order.

Things like hurricanes and storms are no brainers even if one is unable to predict with any degree of certainty the course or severity of such natural phenomenons.

The fact that Dorian devastated Abaco and Grand Bahama over a year ago and we are still in a recovery mode does not bode well for this hurricane season. The evolution of governance; accountability and transparency in our nation are problematical. Tens of millions of dollars have been collected and expended under the inscrutable means.

The PM stated with a bold face that one million is being spent weekly by the administration on food alone. Are there invoices and cheques available?

Are there audited statements? Who all are getting this massive amount of food and what evidence do we have of the recipients? We need to do better than this.

It is my hope that the next electoral cycle will usher in solid commitments on local government for New Providence; an aggressive and sustainable effort to collect on the tens of millions of dollars owed by many who are able to pay for real estate; business licences fees and NIB contributions.

I would also urge the immediate introduction of an income taxation system for both Bahamians and foreign persons and entities especially in the high income brackets. We need a better way to enforce collections. In short, those who earn more, proportionally should shoulder a larger percentage of the fiscal burdens.

ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, August 30, 2020.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, September 2, 2020, PAGE 7

Dames: Full MARCO alert system ready ‘very shortly’

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net FULL implementation of the country’s Mandatory Action Rescuing Children Operation (MARCO) Alert system can be expected “very shortly,” according to National Security Minister Marvin Dames.

Speaking ahead of a Cabinet meeting yesterday, the minister told reporters the system should be fully up and running during this quarter of 2020. However,

he couldn’t give a definitive timeline.

“I don’t have an official release but very shortly sometime you should see it during this quarter,” he said.

“You should also be seeing the drones that we have had. We’ve been having some very good meetings with the provider and we’re very pleased with the progress and you should begin to see a lot of this technology before the year is out. I’m very excited about it.”

In recent weeks, police

have reported several missing teenagers, with the latest missing case said to be a 15-year-old male.

This comes after police discovered a body in bushes in the Carmichael Road area Sunday afternoon. Family and friends have identified the body as 17-year-old Lavard McKenzie, who was last seen at his Miller’s Heights residence on August 27 around 10am.

After the murder of 11-year-old Marco Archer in 2011, a law was enacted allowing authorities to send notifications alerting the

public to missing children, dubbed the MARCO Alert.

While the system was rolled out by the Christie administration, it is unclear if it was ever used and it was set for an overhaul by the Minnis administration.

Last year, Mr Dames said the government had committed $3.05m over three years for the MARCO Alert. A contract was signed between the government and Multimedia Technologies for the system in late August 2019.

Speaking in the House

of Assembly in July, Mr Dames noted that the MARCO’s alert system was still in “its testing phase and will soon be available nationally.”

Mr Dames said despite the system not being fully implemented, officers have continued to effectively carry out their duties.

He said: “Despite being in a COVID environment, if you go around town and you see that the boards are almost up. I have regular meetings and I’m quite pleased with the progress and very shortly, you should

see that in full effect” “It’s just the infrastructure is being erected and so if you go across the island, the police can point and show you but despite the fact that we’re in this COVID, we continue to work and getting the infrastructure up so that we can get Marco’s alert up and running but that does not take away from the fact that it doesn’t stop us from doing what we have to do.” “…The police force continues to do what we have to do and I’m very pleased with their efforts.”

$2,000 FINE FOR HOSTING BEACH PARTY

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A FREEPORT man accused of hosting a beach party at a small cay was charged with violation of the Emergency Orders in the Freeport Magistrate Court on Tuesday.

Floyd ‘BJ’ Feaster, 28, of Lawrence Close, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson and was charged with violation of requirements to social distancing protocol, hosting a social gathering and attending the beach during the closed period.

Feaster pleaded guilty to the three charges.

On Saturday, August 29, shortly after 3pm, officers of the Northeastern Division, Marine Section and Mobile Unit, acting on information,

proceeded by boat to a Lightbourne’s Cay where they observed a large gathering of persons engaged in a beach party. Feaster was warned of prosecution under the Emergency Orders and the beach goers were told to leave.

The judge ordered Feaster to pay a fine, $2,000 on each count, totalling $6000. Failure to pay the fine, he will serve 18 months consecutively on each count.

Magistrate Ferguson allowed Feaster to pay $2,000 in full on Tuesday, with condition to pay the remainder by December 1, 2020.

She told Feaster that when the fines are paid in full, he would be discharged. The matter was adjourned to December 1, 2020 for review.

FLOYD ‘BJ’ Feaster, pictured outside court.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

TWO YEARS IN JAIL FOR GUN AND AMMUNITION POSSESSION

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 21-YEAR-OLD man who claimed he pocketed a pistol he found in bushes was yesterday sentenced to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to illegal firearm and ammunition possession.

Jarvis Joseph was accused

of being in possession of an unlicensed silver and black Taurus pistol, along with nine unfired rounds of .9mm ammunition on August 30.

He admitted to both offences during a hearing before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt and was sentenced to two years at the Bahamas Department of

Correctional Services.

The court was told when officers searched the defendant around 11.05am on the day in question, they discovered the loaded weapon in his front right pocket. Joseph was subsequently arrested and taken to a nearby station.

In an interview with police there, he said the firearm belonged to him.

However when given an opportunity to speak yesterday, Joseph told the magistrate that he saw a man drop the weapon in some bushes in a yard he was standing in that day. He claimed he thought the item the man dropped was money, but when he found it, it turned out to be a pistol.

Joseph said the “same

time” he placed the gun in his pocket, officers arrived and searched him.

He insisted he only took the firearm because he wanted to see if he could sell it to “try and make money off of it”.

Yesterday, Joseph was also charged with the attempted murder of Vernal Johnson on August 7. The prosecution alleged Joseph

had a firearm which he intended to use to endanger Mr Johnson’s life that same day.

The defendant was not required to enter a plea to these charges and the matter was adjourned to November 3 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

He was remanded to prison in the interim.

MAN FINED $1,500 FOR DEATH THREAT POSTED ON WHATSAPP

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 34-YEAR-OLD bus driver who posted a WhatsApp status threatening to kill another man whenever he saw him was fined $1,500 yesterday.

Martin Miller was arrested after he was accused of unlawfully threatening Darcio Rolle with death through writing on August 26.

During a hearing before

Magistrate Samuel McKinney yesterday, Martin pleaded guilty to the charge.

The court heard Mr Rolle told officers Miller, who he also knew as “Rat”, posted a message to his WhatsApp status and recorded an audio message where he said he intended to go to jail for murder. The court was also told the defendant said he planned to travel with a firearm so he could kill the complainant whenever he

saw him in person.

The prosecution said as a result of fearing for his life, Mr Rolle filed an official complaint with police. Miller was arrested a short time later and taken to a nearby station where he admitted to the offence in an interview with police.

When given an opportunity to speak yesterday, Miller told the magistrate he and Mr Rolle were bus drivers. He also said the complainant was dating

the mother of his children and claimed Mr Rolle had a habit of “sending his boys to bother” with him. The defendant insisted he only wrote the WhatsApp status because the complainant had also threatened him on occasions.

After listening to Miller’s explanation, Magistrate McKinney accepted the defendant’s guilty plea and fined him $1,500. He warned Miller if he failed to pay the fine he would spend one year in prison.

MAN FINED FOR HELPING STEAL CAR PARTS

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who admitted to helping his friends steal a car hood and battery from another man was fined $1,500 and ordered to compensate the owner of the vehicle.

Brandon McKenzie, 26, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney after he was accused of stealing a $450 car hood and $119 car

battery from Rudolph Carroll on August 23.

According to the prosecution, Mr Carroll told police someone had stolen the hood and battery of his Suziki Swift while it was parked at a residence in Bel Air Estates. Acting on information received, officers then went to McKenzie’s house and arrested him in reference to stealing. In an interview under caution at a nearby station, McKenzie denied

stealing the car parts. Still, after further investigation, he was charged with the offense.

During the hearing, McKenzie was represented by attorney Ian Cargill.

He told the magistrate his client was driving the vehicle that the people who stole the car parts occupied at the time. He also noted McKenzie took the officers to the homes of the people he was driving with that day and

indicated where the stolen items were.

As a result, Magistrate McKinney fined the defendant $1,500 or nine months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services for stealing. He also ordered McKenzie to compensate Mr Carroll $569 to replace his stolen property. Magistrate McKinney warned him if he failed to do so, he could risk spending an additional three months behind bars.

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PAGE 8, Wednesday, September 2, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Dorian must be more than a memory - rather a call to action IT HAS been one year since Hurricane Dorian devastated Grand Bahama and Abaco. The people on those islands suffered through what the rest of us cannot imagine. The destruction of buildings and loss of infrastructure do not compare with the challenges they had to push through to survive. We still do not know the number of lives lost to the storm. Not only were we unprepared for Hurricane Dorian, but our response was and continues to be inadequate.

The storm and its aftermath cannot be forgotten.

We cannot allow each other to simply move on.

It is not enough to grieve.

It is not enough to regret.

It is not enough to remember. On the weekend, I saw a social media post from someone whose house just got electricity for the first time since Hurricane Dorian. Last week, I got a message from a family in Nassau, still unable to return to Abaco. Just over a month ago, we were panicked about Hurricane Isaias, struck by the new reality of hurricane season.

We will not look at hurricanes in the same way again. Still, what are we doing to protect ourselves and each other?

Climate change is real.

Climate action is required.

We are not having enough conversations about rising sea levels and our precarious geographic location.

Climate resilience needs to be on the agenda of every government ministry and department, every political party, every nongovernmental organization, every religious institution, every school and every household. We need to understand how climate change creates new risks for us and how we can anticipate and prepare for them when we cannot completely avoid them.

One year later, we should know more. How are Bahamian experts in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) being engaged by decision-makers? When will there be a national climate action campaign? What will be

RBDF officers in Abaco yesterday paying tribute to victims of Hurricane Dorian.

Photo: Able Seaman Michael Turner II/RBDF

By Alicia Wallace done about inadequate shelters? What are we going to do about food (in) security? What systems are being developed and tested for evacuation, housing and ongoing assistance after a storm?

Which countries, particularly in the Caribbean and the Pacific, will be our partners as we conduct assessments and chart the way forward? What is the budget allocation for climate action, environmental stewardship and disaster management? What has been done to prepare for, should it happen, another climate event like Hurricane Dorian?

We should not have to scramble to respond to another climate event. We, as citizens and residents, should not have to guess

about what the government is doing to prepare and protect the country. There should be widely promotes opportunities for students interested in STEAM, especially with a focus on climate and environment.

We should be hearing from experts and practitioners on a regular basis, and their knowledge and experience should be recognized as a valuable resource for learning, planning, and executing robust systems and programmes.

Hurricane Dorian was a beast. It forced us to remind ourselves, every day, that we are #BahamasStrong.

We needed the mantra, as encouragement and motivation. A year later, we remember. A year later, we need more than memory.

We need a way forward.

BOSEMAN’S SILENCE WAS HIS CHOICE TO MAKE IN JANUARY 2018, we got Black Panther. The highly anticipated movie was Marvel’s biggest opening weekend and cleared $292m in its first week of screening in the US. It was more than a movie. It was a performance event, patrons dressing in their best African print ensembles, superhero costumes and imaginative pieces.

There was face paint, there were props and theatres buzzed with the excitement of black people ready to see themselves on the big screen as heroes. In the movie, T’Challa returns to Wakanda after the death of his father to assume the position of king of the African nation, but he has to face an arch-enemy.

The role of T’Challa was played by Chadwick Boseman whose death was announced by his family at the weekend. The American actor, born and raised in South Carolina, previously played Jackie Robinson in 42, James Brown in Get On Up and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall. It was revealed, after his death, that the 43-yearold battled colon cancer for four years.

The news of Boseman’s death was shocking to everyone. Many took to social media to express their grief.

While, to some, it seems odd that people feel deeply about celebrity deaths, it often opens a valve, releasing pressure that was held and ignored. People talked about what the impact

Black Panther had on them, what it meant to see a Marvel movie filling the screen with black people and the important role Boseman played.

People on social media laughed through tears as they remembered how “we all showed out” from the time Black Panther was announced and continued well into its run in theatres.

Wakanda brought joy to many people and Boseman played a major role in that.

Boseman’s illness was kept quiet. Members of the cast of crew of Black Panther and other colleagues were as surprised as the general public to learn he was undergoing treatment which included chemotherapy and multiple surgeries.

There have been arguments about the reasons he kept it private and the broader implications of the decision. Did he keep it a secret so that he could continue to work? Maybe people in the industry would deem him unfit for the roles he played or doubt his ability to show up every day. He may have been concerned about the illness eclipsing his identity.

How would Wakanda have been promoted if everyone knew Boseman was battling colon cancer while filming? Would the narrative have shifted, focusing on his personal life and strength?

Would people have treated him differently on set and in social settings?

Maybe Boseman wanted to live his life as normally

as possible. There were probably roles he really wanted to play. His decision may have been selfish, selfless, or neither. He did what felt right for him. It is important, however, to note some people do not have a choice. Some people cannot work through illness. Someone people have to work through illness.

Some people have the privilege of privacy while other do not.

No two experiences are the same.

Some people have already started turning Boseman’s life, work and death into inspiration porn, pointing to all that he did in the past four years while undergoing treatment, saying the rest of us have no excuse for not working hard. It is a dangerous and flawed argument. We should not have to prove our value or dedication by pretending to be fine when we are not. Two people in same general circumstance can have starkly different experiences. We have to be able to choose the path that is right for us and it would be helpful to be free of judgement and unfair comparisons.

In the words of T’Challa, “Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence.

We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers.

We must find a way to look after one another, as if we were one single tribe.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, September 2, 2020, PAGE 9

TECHTALK

SAMSUNG TOUTS $2,000 FOLDABLE PHONE AS A ‘VIP’ EXPERIENCE

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — Samsung’s second attempt at a foldable smartphone will come with a $2,000 price tag and a few elite perks aimed at affluent consumers still able to afford the finer things in life during tough times.

The phone, dubbed the Z Fold2, will include a VIP package that will provide access to fancy restaurants and golf clubs to supplement the device’s multipurpose design.

When folded up, the device looks like most other phones. But when its interior 7.6-inch screen is opened up along its side hinges, it is quickly transformed into the equivalent of a mini-tablet.

“It’s definitely a luxury device,” said Drew Blackard, Samsung’s vice president of mobile product management in the U.S. Samsung provided a glimpse of the Z Fold2 last month while unveiling other new phones that cost at least $1,000, but waited until Tuesday to provide details about how much it will cost and when it will be in stores. Anyone willing to pay the Z Fold2’s lofty price will be able to place an order online beginning Wednesday. It will be available in stores Sept. 18.

That will give the Z Fold2 a slight jump on Apple’s next wave of iPhones. Those are expected to be released in October, a few weeks later than usual because of supply problems lingering from overseas factories that shut down during the early stages of the pandemic.

The Z Fold2 is supposed to be sturdier than last year’s inaugural model. That initial foldable device proved to be far more fragile than Samsung had hoped, even after delaying its release by several months in an effort to fix issues

ONE of Amazon’s delivery drones. Amazon won approval to deliver packages by drones from the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency said Monday.

(Jordan Stead/ Amazon via AP, File)

AMAZON WINS FAA APPROVAL TO DELIVER PACKAGES

BY DRONE

SAMSUNG’S foldable phone is displayed. Samsung’s second attempt at a foldable smartphone will come with a $2,000 price tag and a few elite perks aimed at affluent consumers still able to afford the finer things in life during tough times.

(Samsung via AP)

noticed by people who received review models. Even with this year’s improvements, the Z Fold2 will require special care that Samsung will explain in instructions accompanying the device.

The South Korean technology giant is hoping the versatility will infuse some excitement in a smartphone market that hasn’t seen many breakthroughs aside from better cameras and other minor tweaks. The lull in innovation has caused more people to hold on to their existing phones for longer periods, dampening sales for Samsung, Apple and other manufacturers.

The new phone will also be equipped with the technology required to work on new ultrafast

wireless networks known as 5G that are rolling out. That’s another advantage over older phones that Samsung believes will prod more people to consider splurging on a new device.

Blackard cites another reason new phones are likely to draw interest: Even as more people work from home on laptop and desktop computers, they also have been using their mobile devices more frequently. In some cases, the usage is up by 50%, he said, based on the data that Samsung has.

Even so, Blackard conceded that the Z Fold2 is likely to have limited appeal at a time when the recession has caused the U.S. unemployment rate to soar and is forcing millions of households to pinch pennies

By JOSEPH PISANI AP Retail Writer

just to pay the monthly rent or mortgage.

In an effort to reach all ends of the market, Samsung recently introduced a 5G phone, the Galaxy A51, that sells for $500.

APPLE, GOOGLE BUILD VIRUS-TRACING TECH DIRECTLY INTO PHONES

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer

APPLE and Google are trying to get more U.S. states to adopt their phonebased approach for tracing and curbing the spread of the coronavirus by building more of the necessary technology directly into phone software.

That could make it much easier for people to get the tool on their phone even if their local public health agency hasn’t built its own compatible app.

The tech giants on Tuesday launched the second phase of their “exposure notification” system, designed to automatically alert people if they might have been exposed to the coronavirus.

Until now, only a handful of U.S. states have built pandemic apps using the tech companies’ framework, which has seen somewhat wider adoption in Europe and other parts of the world.

States must choose whether they want to enable the Apple-Google system.

If they do, iPhone users in those states will automatically be able to opt into the system without having to download an app.

They’ll be prompted with a notification asking if they consent to running the system on their phones.

For people with Android phones, Google will automatically generate an Android app for public health agencies that phone users can then download.

The companies said they expect Maryland, Nevada, Virginia and Washington, D.C., to be the first in the U.S. to launch the new version of their tool.

Virginia says nearly half a million of its 8.5 million residents have downloaded its app since the state in early August became the first to launch a customised pandemic app using the Google-Apple framework.

Other states that have since launched COVID-19 apps using the Google-Apple model include North Dakota, Wyoming, Alabama and Nevada.

The University of Arizona also has one that is expected to eventually go statewide.

Some of the apps don’t work as well once people travel across state borders, although a group of coordinating public health agencies is working to fix that by setting up a national server.

The technology relies on Bluetooth wireless signals to determine whether an individual has spent time near anyone else who has tested positive for the virus.

Both people in this scenario must have signed up to use the Google-Apple technology.

Instead of geographic location, the app relies on proximity.

The companies say the app won’t reveal personal information either to them or public health officials.

Individuals who receive such proximity alerts will typically be offered testing and health advice to prevent potential future spread of the virus.

Maryland’s Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, announcing the state’s participation in the Apple-Google system at a press conference Tuesday, said it will help public health officials more quickly notify people of potential COVID-19 exposure and enhance existing efforts by health workers to trace the contacts of infected people.

NEW YORK (AP) — Getting an Amazon package delivered from the sky is closer to becoming a reality.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had granted Amazon approval to deliver packages by drones.

Amazon said that the approval is an “important step,” but added that it is still testing and flying the drones. It did not say when it expected drones to make deliveries to shoppers.

The online shopping giant has been working on drone delivery for years, but it has been slowed by regulatory hurdles.

Flying Back in December 2013, Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos said in a TV interview that drones would be flying to customer’s homes within five years.

Last year, Amazon unveiled self-piloting drones that are fully electric, can carry five pounds of goods and are designed to deliver items in 30 minutes by dropping them in a backyard.

At the time, an Amazon executive said deliveries to shoppers would be happening “within months,” but more than 14 months have passed since then.

Seattle-based Amazon is the third drone delivery service to win flight approval, the FAA said.

Delivery company UPS and a company owned by search giant Google won approval last year.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, September 2, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

NEWLY-HATCHED TURTLES EMERGE TO A WORLD FILLED WITH PLASTIC

By DAVID DUFFY, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Disease Genomics and Catherine Eastman Sea Turtle Hospital Programme Coordinator, University of Florida

PLASTIC pollution has been found in practically every environment on the planet, with especially severe effects on ocean life. Plastic waste harms marine life in many ways – most notably, when animals become entangled in it or consume it.

We work as scientists and rehabilitators at The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience and Sea Turtle Hospital at the University of Florida. Our main focus is on sea turtle diseases that pose conservation threats, such as fibropapillomatosis tumour disease.

However, it’s becoming increasingly hard to ignore evidence that plastic pollution poses a growing, hidden threat to the health of endangered sea turtles, particularly our youngest patients. In a newly published study, we describe how we examined 42 posthatchling loggerhead sea turtles that stranded on beaches in Northeast Florida. We found that almost all of them had ingested plastic in large quantities.

An ocean of plastic Ocean plastic pollution originates mostly from land-based sources, such as landfills and manufacturing plants. One recent study estimates that winds carry 200,000 tons of tiny plastic particles from degraded tires alone into the oceans every year.

Plastics are extremely durable, even in salt water.

Materials that were made in

the 1950s, when plastic mass production began, are still persisting and accumulating in the oceans. Eventually these objects disintegrate into smaller fragments, but they may not break down into their chemical components for centuries.

Overall, some 11 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. This amount is projected to grow to 29 million tons by 2040.

A microplastic diet Many forms of plastic threaten marine life. Sea turtles commonly mistake floating bags and balloons for their jellyfish prey. Social media channels are replete with videos and images of sea turtles with plastic straws stuck in their nostrils, killed in plastic-induced mass mortality events, or dying after ingesting hundreds of plastic fragments.

So far, however, scientists don’t know a lot about the prevalence and health effects of plastic ingestion in vulnerable young sea turtles. In our study,

we sought to measure how much plastic was ingested by post-hatchling washback sea turtles admitted to our rehabilitation hospital.

Post-hatchling washbacks are recently hatched baby turtles that successfully travel from their nesting beaches out to the open ocean and start to feed, but are then washed back to shore due to strong winds or ill health. This is a crucial life stage: turtles need to feed to recover from their frenzied swim to feeding grounds hundreds of miles offshore. Feeding well also helps them grow large enough to avoid most predators.

We examined 42 dead washbacks, and found that 39 of them, or 93 percent, had ingested plastic – often in startling quantities. A majority of it was hard fragments, most commonly coloured white.

One turtle that weighed 48 grams or 1.6 ounces – roughly equivalent to 16 pennies – had ingested 287 plastic pieces. Another hatchling that weighed just

27 grams, or less than one ounce, had ingested 119 separate pieces of plastic that totaled 1.23% of its body weight. The smallest turtle in our study, with a shell just 4.6 centimeters (1.8 inches) long, had ingested a piece of plastic one-fourth the length of its shell.

Consuming such large quantities of plastic increases the likelihood that broken-down plastic nanoparticles or chemicals that leach from them will enter turtles’ bloodstreams, with unknown health effects.

Ingested plastic can also block turtles’ stomachs or intestines. At a minimum, it limits the amount of space that’s physically available for consuming and digesting genuine prey that they need to survive and grow.

Turtles at this life stage live at the ocean’s surface, sheltering in floating mats of seaweed, where they feed on invertebrate prey such as zooplankton. These floating seaweed mats gather in the Atlantic, in an area known as the Sargasso

Sea, which is bounded by four major ocean currents and covers much of the central Atlantic Ocean. The area is heavily polluted with plastic, as both seaweed and plastic travel on and are concentrated by the same ocean currents. Our study suggests that these baby turtles are mistakenly feeding on plastic floating in and around the seaweed.

Post-hatchling sea turtles are young and need to feed and grow rapidly. This means they are particularly at risk from the harmful consequences of ingesting plastic. We find it especially troubling that almost all of the animals we assessed had ingested plastic in such large quantities. Plastic pollution is only one of many humanrelated threats that these charismatic and endangered creatures face at sea.

Stemming the plastic tsunami Since plastic persists for hundreds of years in the environment, clearing it from the oceans will require ingenious cleanup

technologies, as well as lower-tech beach and shore cleanups. But in our view, the top priority should be curbing the rampant flow of plastic that is swamping oceans and coasts.

Earth’s ecosystems, especially the oceans, are interconnected, so reducing plastic waste will require global solutions.

They include improving methods for recycling plastics; developing bio-based plastics; banning single-use plastic items in favour of more sustainable or reusable alternatives; and reducing shipment of plastic waste abroad to countries with lax regulatory regimes, from where it is more likely to enter the environment.

Our observations in posthatchling turtles are part of a growing body of research showing how plastic pollution is harming wildlife.

We believe it is time for humanity to face up to its addiction to plastic, before we find ourselves wading through swathes of plastic debris and wondering what went wrong.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, September 2, 2020, PAGE 11

US TO COLLECT MORE PERSONAL INFORMATION OF NON-CITIZENS WASHINGTON Associated Press

THE Trump administration announced plans Tuesday to expand the collection of personal “biometric” information as part of its immigration enforcement.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services would collect the data, including iris and facial scans, voice prints and in some cases DNA for those who seek to

live or work in the country, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS did not release the proposed regulation or provide details. BuzzFeed News, which obtained a draft of the policy, reported earlier Tuesday that it included a provision that would require personal data from anyone applying for some type of immigration benefit, including those already in the country, and

U.S. citizens sponsoring family members.

It typically takes several months for a new regulation to take effect after a comment period. This measure is likely to prompt legal challenges, as have most immigration measures introduced under President Donald Trump.

“This is a remarkable expansion of surveillance, especially the idea that immigrants could be called in at any point to give these

biometrics,” said Sarah Pierce, an analyst with the Migration Policy Institute.

Applicants for citizenship already provide fingerprints and photos. Homeland Security said that under the new policy applicants could also be required to submit their DNA so authorities could confirm people are related when there is insufficient “documentary evidence”.

Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli characterized the measure

as a way to improve the verification of people’s identities and “modernize” the collection of biometrics and other data.

“Leveraging readily available technology to verify the identity of an individual we are screening is responsible governing,” Cuccinelli said in a written statement. “The collection of biometric information also guards against identity theft and thwarts fraudsters who are not who they claim

to be.”

The citizenship agency has struggled to maintain operations because of a budget crisis caused by a drop-off in legal immigration and increased costs.

The agency is supported by the fees that it charges people who apply to live and work in the country.

Tightened immigration under President Donald Trump is a major factor in reducing the agency’s operating budget.

Trump orders environment assessments fast-tracked BILLINGS, Montana Associated Press THE Trump administration is seeking to fast track environmental reviews of dozens of major energy and infrastructure projects during the COVID-19 pandemic, including oil and gas drilling, hazardous fuel pipelines, wind farms and highway projects in multiple states, according to documents provided to The Associated Press.

The plan to speed up project approvals comes after President Donald Trump in June ordered the Interior Department and other agencies to scale back environmental reviews under special powers he has during the coronavirus emergency.

More than 60 projects targeted for expedited environmental reviews were detailed in an attachment to a July 15 letter from Assistant Interior Secretary Katherine MacGregor to White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow.

The letter, obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity through a

freedom of information lawsuit, does not specify how the review process would be hastened. It says the specified energy, environmental and natural resource projects “are within the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to perform or advance.”

Included on Interior’s list are oil and gas industry proposals such as the 5,000-well Converse gas field in Wyoming, the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas terminal in Oregon, and the Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline in Virginia.

Other projects targeted for quick review include highway improvements in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and other states; storm levees and wetlands restoration initiatives in Louisiana; the Lake Powell water pipeline in Utah; wind farms in New Mexico and off the Massachusetts coast; and mining projects in Nevada, Idaho, Colorado and Alaska.

Environmentalist Brett Hartl said the move to expedite major projects represents a “giveaway” to industries that curried favor

with Trump.

“Building an LNG (liquefied natural gas) plant is not going to solve the problem that’s happening in the country,” said Hartl, government affairs director with the Center for Biological Diversity. “This is where we’re potentially going to see environmental harm down the road, because they are skipping steps in the process.”

The group sued the government in federal court to force it to release documents related to Trump’s order after the group’s initial request under the Freedom of Information Act was refused.

MacGregor’s letter noted that some projects had been placed on shorter schedules before Trump’s order.

Some of those that were on the list were recently completed, such as last month’s approval of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Interior Department officials did not answer questions from the AP on how the environmental reviews are being expedited and whether any rules were being

THE MOUNTAIN Valley Pipeline route on Brush Mountain in Virginia. The Trump administration is seeking to fast track environmental reviews of the pipeline and dozens of other energy, highway and other infrastructure projects across the US Photo: Heather Rousseau/The Roanoke Times via AP conse- workarounds of bedrock waived. The bid to speed environmental up reviews is in line with quences are “thoughtfully environmental laws, such as the National Environthe Trump administra- analysed”.

“For far too long, mental Policy Act and the tion’s greater emphasis on reduced regulatory bur- critically important infra- Endangered Species Act, to structure, energy and other hasten completion of infradens for corporations.

A spokesman for Inte- economic development pro- structure projects to speed rior Secretary David jects have been needlessly economic recovery.

Swanson said the action Bernhardt said in an paralysed by federal red emailed statement that the tape,” spokesman Conner was necessary because the virus has slowed down administration was taking Swanson said.

The president’s June large segments of the socisteps to improve government decision making order directed federal offi- ety and brought massive while still making sure cials to pursue emergency unemployment.

POLICE KILL BLACK MAN WHO DROPPED GUN LOS ANGELES Associated Press

A BLACK man was shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies after he was stopped for a traffic violation while riding a bike, then ran from police, punched one officer and then “made a motion” toward a gun on the ground, authorities said.

The Monday afternoon shooting death of Dijon Kizzee in South Los Angeles prompted a peaceful protest hours later. Black Lives Matter marched Tuesday evening from the scene to a sheriff’s precinct station.

The killing came on the heels of the police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that left Jacob Blake, who is also Black, paralyzed and spurred days of protests, reinvigorating the national debate on racial injustice and policing.

Also Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to ask the coroner to conduct an inquest into the fatal deputy shooting of 18-year-old Andres Guardado on June 18. Guardado was shot five times in the back after deputies said they saw him with a gun and he ran. Guardado’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Monday against the county, the Sheriff’s Department and deputies involved in the shooting.

Kizzee’s family and friends created a small memorial for him at the shooting scene in the Westmont neighborhood — leaving flowers, balloons and candles just feet away from first responders’ discarded blue medical gloves and rolled bandages.

The Sheriff’s Department has not released Kizzee’s name, but two relatives confirmed his identity.

In interviews with The Associated Press, they remembered the 29-year-old Kizzee as an energetic man with many friends and expressed anger at the shooting.

“You guys take care of dogs. You don’t take care of us,” said Kizzee’s aunt, Fletcher Fair, addressing the Sheriff’s Department. “He was a

DEPUTIES with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department stand in formation during protests following the death of Dijon Kizzee on Monday in Los Angeles.

Photo: Christian Monterrosa/AP sweet and loving young man. He according to the statement. had his whole life ahead of him, and The shooting occurred when the it was cut short by rogue sheriffs.” man “made a motion” toward the Kizzee’s uncle, Anthony Johnson, gun, the statement said.

33, said they grew up together and Latiera Irby, 29, told the Los were as close as brothers. Johnson Angeles Times that she had stopped said he often warned his nephew by her mother’s house to get her that, as a Black man, he had to be hair done when Kizzee came up especially careful. to her car and told her: “They’re “‘You have a target on your coming to get me; they’re coming to back, just by being you,’” John- get me.” son remembered telling Kizzee as Kizzee offered her money to recently as a few weeks ago. “He drive him away. was like, ‘Yeah, all right, uncle,’ like “I didn’t know who he was runhe always says.” ning from, so I told him no,” she A Sheriff’s Department state- said. ment released Tuesday evening said Irby said a short time later, she deputies had tried to stop Kizzee saw Kizzee scuffle with a deputy, for riding his bicycle in violation who backed away and then shot of vehicle codes, but he dropped him. his bike and ran. It didn’t provide The same deputy and another any more details about the alleged fired at Kizzee after he fell to the violation. ground, she said, adding: “He had The deputies momentarily lost nothing in his hands.” sight of him. But when they caught Police said the handgun was up, he immediately punched one recovered, and no deputies were deputy in the face and dropped a injured. TV news helicopters jacket, causing a black semiauto- showed a gun near the body. matic handgun to fall to the ground, Dean said investigators had

not yet interviewed witnesses or reviewed any surveillance or cellphone video.

“Give us time to conduct our investigation,” he said. “We will get all of the facts of this case and eventually present them.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the largest in the nation, does not have body cameras for deputies, though that soon will change. The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved funding, and the first round of deputies will be equipped with cameras next month.

Ed Obayashi, a use-of-force consultant to law enforcement agencies and a deputy sheriff in Plumas County, said the Los Angeles County deputies will need to explain how they felt Kizzee presented an immediate threat even though his weapon was on the ground.

“For the officers to justify their shooting of Mr Kizzee, they are going to have to articulate that they reasonably feared for their safety,” Obayashi said.

It will be important for the deputies to be specific, he said.

“What made you believe that he was an ongoing, immediate threat to the public?” Obayashi said. “Did you believe he was still armed? Why? And if he was armed and running away, what was your reason for feeling that he constituted a threat to yourselves or the public?”

Fair described her nephew as “a mother’s child,” saying Kizzee took care of his mother after a car crash until her death in 2011 from a heart attack. After that, he took care of his younger brother, Sean Jones, who is 18 and a recent high school graduate.

Fair lives near where Kizzee was killed and couldn’t believe the circumstances surrounding her nephew’s death.

“How do you get a violation on a bicycle?” she asked. “I stayed here until they picked his body up. I didn’t want to leave.”

FIRST LADY’S CONVERSATIONS ‘WERE TAPED’ WASHINGTON Associated Press A FORMER friend and adviser of Melania Trump said Tuesday that she made recordings of her conversations with the first lady because she needed evidence to protect herself amid questions about the costs of President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, whose book “Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady”, was released this week, helped produce Trump’s inauguration and later worked for the first lady as an unpaid White House adviser.

Wolkoff left the White House in February 2018 when her contract was terminated. The White House blasted the book as “full of mistruths and paranoia”.

Separately, Wolkoff told The Washington Post that Mrs Trump used private email accounts while at the White House.

In an interview on MSNBC, Wolkoff said, “I’ve been accused of taping my friend, as the White House said, and how horrible of a human being I am for doing that.”

“And they’re right.

If she was my friend, it would be horrible. But Melania and the White House had accused me of criminal activity and publicly shamed and fired me and made me their scapegoat,” Wolkoff said. “At that moment in time, that’s when I pressed record. She was no longer my friend and she was willing to let them take me down.”

SPORTS PAGE 12

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

PAGE 14

Avard’s mother dies after battle with coronavirus

Murray and Nuggets win wild Game 7

DENVER Nuggets’ Jamal Murray celebrates last night after winning their NBA first round playoff basketball game in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The Nuggets won 80-78. Jokic had 30 points and 14 rebounds and Jamal Murray scored 17 points.

No. 3 seed Denver advanced to face the second-seeded Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals.

(AP Photo/Mark J Terrill) SEE THE FULL STORY ON PAGE 15

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

A

vard Moncur, the first Bahamian male athlete to win a World Championship title on the track, could only reflect on the good times that he shared with his mother, Ramona Moncur, after she passed away from COVID-19 yesterday.

In Atlanta, Georgia, where he serves as a programme coordinator at Georgia Tech, Moncur said the news hit hard when he was told that his 60-yearold mother died in the wee hours at the South Beach Clinic where she was receiving treatment for her respiratory system.

“She was the love of my life. She was everything that made me who I am,” said Moncur, who mourns along with his six brothers and one sister.

“She was compassionate, sweet, generous and someone who was never afraid to support people. She was never judgemental, regardless of who they were. She always had a smile on her face. She was a fighter all of her life and even in going through this pandemic, she was fighting for her life.”

Moncur, who was the proprietor of Principle Traders Convenient Store on Nassau Street, just opposite Bamboo Shack, was always around the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium when her tall, lanky son was a star for the SC McPherson Sharks and was a three-time gold medallist in the 400m from 1995-1997.

When he left for Auburn University where he continued to excel as a member of the Tigers’ track team, winning the NCAA title back-to-back in 2000 and 2001, Moncur always boasted and bragged about her son’s accomplishments.

Moncur, who made his international breakthrough as a senior athlete at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada in 1999, went on to secure a gold medal in the men’s 400 metres in 2001 at the World Championships and was also a member of the winning 4 x 400m relay team.

The four-time Bahamian national champion who held the national record at 44.45 seconds until it was broken by Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown, also ran on the Bahamas’ 4 x 400m relay team that captured a bronze medal at the

AVARD Moncur and his mother Ramona Moncur.

Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, in 2000.

Moncur, who turns 42 on November 2, was also on three other medal winning teams at the World Championships in 2005 in Helsinki, Finland and 2007 in Osaka, Japan (silver) and 2003 in Paris-St Denis, France (bronze). He also won a Commonwealth Games’ bronze medal in 2002 in the 400m in Manchester, England.

Additionally, Moncur also ran on the gold medal teams at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2007 and the Central American and Caribbean Championships in

Birthday girl Varel concerned over GSSSA sports

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WHILE she got a chance to celebrate her 44th birthday with family yesterday, Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s president Varel Davis said she’s concerned about if and when they will be able to participate in sports this year.

Jeff Lloyd, the Minister of Education, announced on Monday that schools will now open on October 5 with virtual classes being staged until they can find a way to revert back to the regular blended face-toface classes on campus, due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

“As we go virtual, it means we won’t have no kids at school, so we can’t have no type of practice or team sports until the virus is cleared up,” Davis said. “So it’s really going to affect school sports. I have no idea what will happen and even if we are going to have any type of sports this year.

“So we are probably looking at 2021 to start our sporting calendar and even then we may only be able to do cross country and track and field. I don’t see us having any team sports right now. So it’s going to

be very difficult for us to do anything.”

With a month to month approach to when school will reopen, Davis said it doesn’t give them any indication of how they can form a plan of action for after school sports until the economy is fully opened and students are allowed back into the classrooms.

Normally the school year for the GSSSA starts with volleyball, followed by basketball, track and field, soccer and softball and baseball (for girls and boys in the latter sport).

But Davis said everything is up in the air and she’s not sure how her administration will be able to proceed with any sporting activities for the government schools.

It’s anticipated that when school reopens, one of the basketball coaches, Harcourt McCoy, will be moving from Anatol Rodgers as the principal to CV Bethel in one of the shuffles at the administrators’ level.

As for the physical education department within the schools, Davis said she is only aware of the retirement of Terrance King as a long-time physical education teacher and coach at HO Nash.

However, she didn’t have any knowledge of

Triathlon, which was to be held on November 7 this year. It will be the first time in its 34-year history that it will not be held.

“With the recent announcements from the

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THE MAJORS: JAZZ PLAYS FOR MARLINS

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

BIRTHDAY girl Varel Davis celebrates her 44th birthday with her two sons - Davon and Deon - and nephew Dexter Clarke. who will be replacing him and whether or not there were any other movements within the remaining junior and senior high schools.

“There’s nothing we can do until the ministry allows the students back to school,” Davis said. “I’ve had people calling and asking what we are going to do, but there’s nothing

we can do. We can’t come up with a plan with the students in classes.”

In the meantime, Davis said she’s just enjoying her birthday. Last year, she said she couldn’t celebrate her 43rd birthday because of the passing of Hurricane Dorian. This year, she said she was delighted that Prime Minister Hubert

Minnis didn’t lock down the country amidst the coronavirus.

“At least I could move a little bit,” said Davis, who enjoyed some time at the home of her mother, Ethialy Deveaux, where they feasted on some curry chicken, white rice, cole slaw and plantain with a birthday cake as dessert.

34TH GRAND BAHAMA CONCHMAN TRIATHLON CANCELLED Freeport, Grand Bahama — It is with a heavy heart that the Grand Bahama Conchman Committee has decided to cancel the 34th running of the GBPA Conchman

Mayagüez, Puerto Rico in 2011.

In all of his success, Moncur said his mother was right there supporting him, either on the sidelines or via a telephone call, which made it so hard for him when he found out that she had tested positive for the coronavirus.

“The reality is my mother did everything to protect herself and a lot of times people want to do whatever they want to do and not take in consideration the people they come in contact with,” he said.

“But there are a lot of people who may not have your best interest at heart and have some underlying disease that may be detrimental to them, so you can’t be selfish.

“It’s not just about you, but the community as a whole. People just have to be more compassionate and considerate and not just think about yourself, but the community as a whole.”

Calling this the most dramatic experience that he’s had to endure, Moncur said he’s now trying to take the necessary COVID-19 testing so that he can return home for the burial of his beloved mother in the next few weeks.

Government of The Bahamas that they do not expect The Bahamas borders to be opened before the end of October or the beginning of November, and the restrictions being placed on sporting events by the Government, the committee believes they have no option but to cancel this year’s race.

“As is being said many times, 2020 has been an extraordinary year,” said Conchman Chairman, Christopher Baker. “Our race is very dependent on participation from other islands, as well as a very

strong international following, and with the strict COVID guidelines, we have decided to cancel the event.”

“We will look forward to the world coming out of this pandemic in 2021.

I don’t suppose we shall get back to normal living as we knew it for many years,” said Baker. “But we can hope that we can all begin to go about our daily business and especially as regards to us triathletes, that we will be able to start training and competing again in the sport we all love so much soon.”

The committee is tentatively planning to hold a duathlon in the spring of 2021 which they feel they can run safely and within COVID-19 regulations.

“The committee urges everyone to keep safe and healthy, and thanks to their many participants and supporters for reaching out to them daily for updates and support.

“Please stay in touch with us,” added Baker.

“We encourage you to watch our social media pages for more info and above all, keep practicing – we will be back.”

JAZZ Chisholm was the latest Bahamian to crack the Major Leagues when he came out of the dugout to play for the Miami Marlins last night.

The talented 22-year-old shortstop came in to complete the game for starter Miguel Rojas in a Marlins’ 3-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Marlins Park in Miami, Florida.

While he didn’t get to bat, Chisholm made his first defensive play in the top of the ninth to help the Marlins preserve the win and improved their winloss record to 16-15 on the season played without any fans due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Chisholm follows Antoan Richardson, the last Bahamian to play in the Major League in 2014 with the New York Yankees in his second sting. He made his first appearance in 2011 with the Atlanta Braves.

Andre Rodgers made the breakthrough for the Bahamas in 1957 with the New York Giants. As an infielder, Rodgers also played for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Outfielder Tony Curry played for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cleveland Indians from 1960-66; outfielder Ed Armbrister played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1973-77, including the 1975 World Series when he was involved in a controversial bunt in game three; pitcher Wenty Ford played for the Braves in 1973 and outfielder/designated played Wilfred Culmer played for the Cleveland Indians in 1983.

Chisholm was called up by the Marlins just before the game. He was traded from the Diamondbacks on July 31, 2019, but didn’t get to play Triple A ball as he was a high prospect, making their 40-man roster at the start of the season.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, September 2, 2020, PAGE 13

Serena Williams wins, Venus loses at US Open

WITH PROS IN THE STANDS, ANDY MURRAY SAVES MATCH POINT

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Making quick work of an opponent for a change, Serena Williams wrapped up her 102nd career US Open match win to break a tie with Chris Evert for the most in the professional era.

Then Williams headed back out to the Arthur Ashe Stadium stands last night, her dog in tow.

Williams had a match to watch — her older sister’s, which did not work out as well.

Serena Williams, who turns 39 this month, defeated Kristie Ahn 7-5, 6-3.

But Venus Williams, who is 40, lost in the US Open’s first round for the first time in 22 appearances, beaten 6-3, 7-5 by No. 20 Karolina Muchova.

It is the fourth time in the past five Grand Slam tournaments that Venus exited in her opening match.

“I just ran out of time today,” Venus said.

Venus, who won two of her seven major singles championships in New York, was trying to become only the third woman in her 40s to win a US Open singles match.

“We would have never thought we would still be out here, to be honest,” Serena said.

“I love my job. At the end of the day, I love what I do. I’ve always said, ‘You can’t do it forever,’” she said after delivering 13 aces and dropping only six points on her serve.

“One of these days,” Serena said, “it’s going to end.”

She has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the professional era, which began in 1968; only Margaret Court collected more, with 24.

Six of Serena’s trophies came at the US Open, and she also was the runner-up four times, including each of the past two years.

Entering yesterday, Serena had been 3-2 since tennis matches resumed after a hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic — and all five went three sets.

So yesterday’s match was a welcome change.

“It’s been years — since the ‘90s — since I won a match in straight sets,” Serena joked.

“I’ve been playing a ton of tight matches,” she said. “I felt like, all right, I just wanted to be ‘Serena-focused’ from the first

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

point to the last point, no matter what happens.”

Her career mark at the hardcourt event is 102-13, a winning percentage of .887.

“In a weird way, I feel like every time I come here, I’m being told I broke another record,” Serena said.

“It’s cool. I don’t think I appreciate it enough, which is unfortunate,” she said.

“But I’m in the middle of a Grand Slam, so it’s not the time to be focused for me on records when I’m thinking about winning a tournament.”

NEW PLAYERS’ ASSOCIATION The man who joined Novak Djokovic in trying to start a new association to represent male tennis players, Vasek Pospisil, said there’s been “a lot of misleading information in terms of what we’re trying to accomplish” in setting up the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA).

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are among those who have said they’re not in favour of the proposal to set up something outside of the ATP Tour.

As things stand, tennis players do not have a union, the way athletes in the major North American team sports do. “The

NEW YORK (AP) — This was the sort of match Andy Murray came back for, the sort of competition and comeback he always lived for, the reason he went through two hip operations and all the hard work that followed.

And it was the type of vintage Murray performance — undaunted by a deficit, adjusting on the fly, muttering all the way — that was too compelling not to watch, so while there are no fans allowed into this US Open because of the pandemic, fellow pros made their way into the stands to see the popular 2012 champion save a match point yesterday and, eventually, win.

Playing his first Grand Slam match in nearly 20 months, toiling on his metal hip for 4 hours, 39 minutes in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Murray put together his 10th career comeback from two sets down and beat Yoshihito Nishioka 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-4.

“It was pretty emotional straight after the match finished, when I got back to the locker room — sort of look at my phone, see the messages from family and friends, the team and stuff. They’re the people that have kind of seen me go through everything, been there, seen the tough times,” said Murray, who next plays 15th-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime, a 20-year-old from Canada.

“I don’t know how many of us actually believed I’d be back kind of winning matches like that.”

Murray’s big concern after the match was whether he could get permission to use the ice bath in the Ashe locker room (he later said he did). “They said it’s for emergencies. For me, this is an emergency right now. My body hurts,” said the 33-year-old Murray, who was treated for blisters on his two big toes by a trainer during a medical timeout. “That’s by far the most tennis I’ve played since 2019, really.”

And so many of the sport’s biggest names were there to witness it.

They included Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem, Naomi Osaka, Garbiñe Muguruza and others, some noshing while sitting on the balconies of their personal “lounges” — Ashe suites that normally bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars during this tournament but were assigned to seeded players because of the ban on spectators.

TOP - Serena Williams reacts during a match against Kristie Ahn yesterday.

ABOVE - Venus Williams takes a break during her match with Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships yesterday in New York. (AP Photos) structure within the ATP leaves the players completely, like, powerless,” Pospisil said. “Our voices are just not heard. That’s all we’re trying to do here.”

Pospisil reached the US Open’s second round yesterday by beating Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (4), 7-5, 7-6 (3) and will face 2016 Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic in an all-Canadian matchup next.

Guido Pella, an Argentine seeded 29th at Flushing Meadows, lost his first-round match at the US Open to American wildcard entry J.J. Wolf 6-2, 0-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Pella said he tested negative nine times for COVID-19 but still was quarantined and withdrawn from the Western & Southern Open — along with Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien, who also lost yesterday — after they had contact with the trainer.

Seven players were allowed to remain in the US Open after they had contact with another player, Benoit Paire, who tested positive. “I suffered one of the worst injustices,” Pella said. “We were not treated equally.”

PELLA SPEAKS One of the two players dropped from the Western & Southern Open draw last month after their fitness trainer tested positive for the coronavirus spoke out yesterday about what he called unfair treatment.

ROGER GOODELL: ‘THE NFL STANDS WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY’

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated the league’s support for players fighting for racial justice and protesting police violence.

Citing a police officer shooting Jacob Blake in the back on August 23 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Goodell said the incident has “brought forth more feelings of anger, frustration, anguish, fear for many of us in the NFL family.”

The investigation into the police shooting of Blake, who is Black, is ongoing.

“The NFL stands with the Black community, the players, clubs and fans,” Goodell said yesterday.

“Confronting recent systemic racism with tangible and productive steps is absolutely essential. We will not relent in our work. We will redouble our efforts to be catalysts for the urgent and sustainable change that our society and communities so desperately need. I’m so proud of everyone across our league and others who have taken a stand using their voices and platforms to continue to shine the spotlight on things that must change.

By listening and working and understanding with our players, we built the foundation for tangible change through our Inspire Change initiative.”

NFL end zones will be inscribed this season with two slogans: “It Takes All Of Us” on one end line, “End Racism” on the other.

As part of its social justice awareness initiatives, the NFL also will allow similar visuals on helmets and caps.

The league announced earlier this summer it is

committing $250 million over 10 years to social justice initiatives. Goodell pointed out the NFL Votes campaign and encouraged teams to offer the use of stadiums as polling centers.

Troy Vincent, the league’s executive vice president of football operations, said players have the right to sit out or protest games.

Teams across several sports leagues postponed games last week following Blake’s shooting.

“The players want to see us leveraging the influence to hold officers that are bad officers to be held accountable,” Vincent said. “That access to meeting the (district attorneys) and access to meeting with local officials to truly address reform and training. ... There has been a lot of work done but we still keep seeing the same image play out on television of unarmed black men being shot down.”

Vincent said he’s encouraged to see a shift among NFL owners to stand with players and support their fight.

“I ask my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to allow me to be a bridge builder,” Vincent said. “And I try to stay on the premises of educating whether that’s a player or a club owner. I just speak to humanity. And I would say in my dealings with club owners, they all have a heart. ... I do believe that some of the things that we have seen transpire, they have seen transpire, it does something to the heart. And we understand we’re not asking, the players are not asking, for anything out of context and just asking for accountability to be administered and that people see this burden that many live, that an entire community, in particular the Black

community, that these injustices are happening.

“I do believe that the club owners are at a place over the last few years, it’s

taken some a little longer than others, but it becomes a heart issue.

“And they do have an appreciation for humanity

OPEN

and they understand that we have to do this together.

The players can’t do it alone. The players understand that they can’t do

without club owners. Club owners understand that it takes all of us to get to where we want to get as a better society.”

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PAGE 14, Wednesday, September 2, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Roglic displays strength on Tour’s 1st mountain stage ORCIERES-MERLETTE, France (AP) — After just four stages at the Tour de France, the balance of power is already clearer: Primoz Roglic and his Jumbo-Visma team are looking like the ones to beat.

Roglic, the Spanish Vuelta champion, used the race’s first summit finish yesterday in the ski resort of Orcieres-Merlette to erase any lingering doubts surrounding his form.

Following an impressive collective performance from his teammates, the former ski jumper from Slovenia won a sprint to secure his third career stage win at the three-week race. Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe managed to follow the late accelerations and kept the race leader’s yellow jersey after crossing the line in fifth place.

“It was quite a fast day, it was hard but the guys again did a really good job,” Roglic said, thanking his teammates for their support in the final climb. “I was always in a good position and so could do a nice sprint, so I’m very happy.”

Roglic completed the 160.5-kilometre (100-mile) ride in 4 hours, 7 minutes, 47 seconds.

With a strategy used in previous years by defending champion Egan Bernal’s Ineos squad, Roglic’s teammates Wout van Aert and Sepp Kuss set a very fast tempo on the final seven-kilometre (fourmile) climb, preventing any attack from the likes of Alaphilippe, Thibaut Pinot, Nairo Quintana or Bernal.

SLOVENIA’s Primoz Roglic celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the fourth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 160,5 kilometres (99,7 miles) with start in Sisteron and finish in Orcieres-Merlette, southern France, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena) “The Jumbo-Visma train was really hard to follow,” Alaphilippe said.

Roglic couldn’t drop any of his rivals but used his power to prevail in the sprint launched by Frenchman Guillaume Martin with 500 metres left.

Roglic, who moved third overall thanks to the bonus time awarded to the stage winner, reached a speed of 52 kph (32 mph) as he raised both arms to cross the line. Tadej Pogacar secured a Slovenian

one-two and Martin completed the podium.

Overall, Alaphilippe kept a four-second lead over Adam Yates of Britain, with Roglic three seconds further back.

Roglic’ participation at cycling’s marquee race was in doubt only weeks ago after his withdrawal from the Critérium du Dauphine because of injuries he sustained in a crash.

“I’m coming back,” Roglic said. “We can see that I can race and every

day I feel a little better.

It’s nice to be able to ride again. I already got proof that I was ready for the start. Now we need to continue the whole team with good job.”

Bernal crossed with the same time as Roglic in the ski resort where Luis Ocana handed five-time Tour winner Eddy Merckx a resounding defeat back in 1971. Trailing 17 seconds behind Alaphilippe overall, Bernal said the longer climbs in the big mountain

stages that will come later in the race will be more suited to his pure climber’s style.

“It is not good when another GC (general classification) rider takes some seconds, but you need to be really patient and to know that our aim is to reach the third week without losing too much time, and then try and regain a bit of time on the long climbs,” he said. “For us, it will be all about minimising the time lost and arriving as fresh as we can for the last week.”

Before the final battle took shape, a group of six riders attacked from the start outside the city of Sisteron. But with Frenchman Alexis Vuillermoz a threat in the overall classification, Alaphilippe’s teammates did not let the breakaway riders build too much of a gap.

The sextet did not collaborate well as German Nils Politt tried to drop his companions twice in downhills. As he tried to bridge the gap, Belgian Tiesj Benoot escaped unscathed from a spectacular crash with 26 kilometres left after he misjudged a curve and went over a guardrail at full speed. His bike was broken in two but he was given a replacement and returned to the race.

The six breakaway riders were all caught by the pack before the final ascent.

Stage 5 will take riders from Gap to Privas on a mainly flat route suited for sprinters.

The three-week Tour, which was postponed from its usual July slot due to the coronavirus, ends in Paris on September 20.

TRINBAGO PERFECT AFTER SEVEN GAMES IN CARIBBEAN PREMIER LEAGUE TAROUBA, Trinidad (AP) — Kieron Pollard and Colin Munro combined to score 71 runs off the last five overs to set up Trinbago’s seventh straight win in the Caribbean Premier League.

The first-place Knight Riders scored 184 for four yesterday then held the Jamaica Tallawahs to 165-6 to win by 19 runs as the tournament returned to the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba after playing 10 matches at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain.

Munro top-scored for Trinbago with 65 before the home team’s spinners took over to restrict the Tallawahs, with Pakistan-born Australian Fawad Ahmed taking 2-12 and Trinidadian left-armer Akeal Hosein returning 1-18.

Trinbago scored quickly with Munro and Pollard combining at the end of the innings after Sunil Narine’s 11-ball 29.

The margin of defeat would have been much greater if not for a late 65-run partnership between Andre Russell and Carlos Brathwaite.

Trinbago’s unbeaten run has given it a six-point lead over the St Lucia Zouks and eight over the Guyana Amazon Warriors and the Tallawahs. The Warriors played Barbados Tridents later Tuesday.

SEPP BLATTER QUESTIONED IN FIFA INVESTIGATION IN SWITZERLAND BERN, Switzerland (AP) — Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter was questioned yesterday by Swiss investigators about a $2 million payment he authorised in 2011 to then-UEFA president Michel Platini.

Blatter was quizzed about suspected criminal mismanagement at FIFA one day after Platini spent about three hours at the offices of Switzerland’s federal prosecutors. The 84-year-old Blatter waved as he arrived

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in Bern with his lawyer, Lorenz Erni. A criminal proceeding has been open against Blatter since the allegation was revealed in September 2015, though it was extended to Platini only three months ago.

Blatter has also been a suspect since May in a second allegation linked to $1 million of FIFA money gifted in 2010 into the control of now-disgraced Caribbean soccer leader Jack Warner.

Blatter has long denied wrongdoing during his 18-year FIFA presidency.

His term ended following American and Swiss investigations of corruption in international soccer.

Platini was favoured to succeed his former mentor in a February 2016 election until the $2 million allegation ended his campaign.

Blatter instructed FIFA to pay Platini after the French soccer great asked for deferred salary from a

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decade earlier. Platini had been an advisor in Blatter’s first presidential term from 1998-2002.

The FIFA ethics committee and the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled there was no valid verbal or written contract to pay the money.

Both men were banned from working in soccer by the FIFA ethics committee and removed from office. Blatter’s six-year ban expires next October.

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FORMER FIFA President Sepp Blatter. (AP)

PAKISTAN SIGNS OFF CRICKET TOUR OF ENGLAND WITH SERIES-TYING T20 WIN MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Pakistan signed off its cricket tour of England with a five-run win in their third and final Twenty20 international to draw the series 1-1 yesterday, with veteran batsman Mohammad Hafeez setting up victory with a 52-ball 86.

The 39-year-old Hafeez tied his best T20 score — in his 94th match in the format — to help Pakistan to 190-4 after being put into bat at Old Trafford. Key to the innings was Hafeez’s 100-run partnership for the third wicket with 19-yearold Haider Ali, who hit 54 off 33 balls on his T20 debut.

Moeen Ali starred in England’s reply with 61 off 33 balls, but was one of two wickets to fall in a superb next-to-last over bowled by Wahab Riaz (2-26).

England needed 12 off the final two balls and although Tom Curran struck a six off the first, he swung and missed off the last delivery of the innings — a yorker by Haris Rauf — to leave the hosts on 185-8.

It was Pakistan’s first win of the tour in its last game and gives the team something to show from a two-month trip which its players spent in an isolated environment, mostly in a hotel.

Pakistan lost a weatherhit test series 1-0, and was then defeated in the second T20 match after rain washed out the first.

Hafeez was named player of the series, having also struck 69 in the second match.

His 86 contained six sixes and was the highest individual score by a Pakistan player against England in this format, equalling his score against South Africa at Centurion in 2013.

Haider’s debut knock — featuring a six off his second ball — will also be encouraging for Pakistan as it looks to build a team to challenge for next year’s T20 World Cup. His fifty came off just 28 balls and he is the first Pakistan players to hit a half-century on his T20 debut.

Opener Tom Banton again impressed for England with 45 but he ran out captain Eoin Morgan (10) in a mix-up over a single to leave England 65-3 off seven overs.

Pakistan’s players celebrated loudly, knowing the importance of the wicket of England’s in-form captain, and the hosts lost wickets at regular intervals in the chase.

“It’s games like this we want to be playing in to learn as much as we can,” Morgan said of his understrength team.

England’s white-ball squad next plays threematch ODI and T20 series against Australia to wrap up its international summer of cricket played in stadiums without spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, September 2, 2020, PAGE 15

NUGGETS EDGE JAZZ 80-78 TO COMPLETE COMEBACK FROM 3-1 DOWN

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer

Tatum scores 34 to help lift Boston past Toronto

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Marcus Smart didn’t like a call that went against him late in the third quarter, a moment that made it seem like the Toronto Raptors were taking control against the Boston Celtics.

So, in the fourth quarter, he took matters into his own hands.

Smart changed the game with 16 points in a dazzling three-minute stretch early in the fourth, Jayson Tatum led everybody with 34 points and the Celtics have the reigning NBA champions in serious trouble.

Boston topped Toronto 102-99 last night, taking a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup.

“Once I saw the first one go in, I knew,” Smart said.

He was right.

Smart made five 3-pointers in a span of 3:04, turning the last of those into a four-point play as the Celtics erased what had been a 12-point deficit late in the third.

Kemba Walker scored 11 of Boston’s final 16 points from there, the last of them a stepback jumper in the final minute, and the Celtics

added to a season of mastery over Toronto.

Not only do they lead the series 2-0, but they’re 3-0 against the Raptors in the NBA’s restart bubble and 5-1 against them this season.

“One game at a time,” Tatum said. “This series is far from over.

You’ve got to win four.”

Smart scored 19 points, Walker had 17 and Jaylen Brown scored 16 for the Celtics.

OG Anunoby had 20 points for Toronto, which got 19 from Fred VanVleet — who missed a 28-footer as time expired.

Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam scored 17 points apiece and Kyle Lowry added 16 for Toronto.

“The shots are there,” Lowry said. “We just have to make them. ... All we’ve got to do is get one game.”

The Raptors had the Celtics under control late in the third quarter, taking a 12-point lead — the momentum seeming like it had swung on an overturned call that, correctly, went Toronto’s way. A layup by VanVleet, followed by a free throw from Siakam after officials reversed a call that he said he fouled Smart, gave Toronto a 78-66 lead with 2:46 left in the third.

BOSTON Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates after sinking a 3-point basket as Grant Williams (12) and Marcus Smart, rear, cheer him on in the second half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J Terrill) The Raptors scored only nine points in the next 10:39, and missed 23 of their final 28 shots overall.

But just when things looked like they had gone totally awry, Toronto scored five straight to make it a 95-92 game with 3:35 left, and the Raptors got within one on a pair of free throws by Lowry with 1:01 remaining. They didn’t

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Nikola Jokic made the tiebreaking basket with 27 seconds left and the Denver Nuggets advanced to the second round of the playoffs by the slimmest of margins, beating the Utah Jazz 80-78 in Game 7 last night when Mike Conley’s 3-pointer spun out at the buzzer.

The Nuggets became the 12th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series, but only after they blew a 19-point lead in this game.

After Jokic’s basket, the Jazz got the ball to Donovan Mitchell following a timeout. The Nuggets stole it from him and raced down for a fast break, but Torrey Craig missed the layup. Utah rebounded and pushed the ball up the floor to Conley, whose jumper looked good all the way until it fell out.

Jokic had 30 points and 14 rebounds and Jamal Murray scored 17 points. No. 3 seed Denver advanced to face the second-seeded Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals.

Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points and Rudy Gobert finished with 19 points and 18 rebounds after a huge second half for the Jazz.

score again. And just as they were last year against Milwaukee, the Raptors are in an 0-2 hole.

“Well, I think we should know we shouldn’t give up, right? We know the next game’s super critical,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “But they’re all critical. They are. But we know this one’s super critical.”

WNBA PLAYOFF PICTURE COMES INTO FOCUS, TEAMS CLINCH BERTHS

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer WITH less than two weeks left in the regular season, the WNBA playoff picture is becoming clearer.

Seattle, Las Vegas and Los Angeles have already clinched spots in the postseason with Minnesota and Chicago not far away from securing playoff berths.

Both need just one more win to get in.

Phoenix is in good shape to reach the postseason with the Mercury sitting in sixth place. The Mercury, however did lose Bria Hartley for the season with an ACL tear in her right knee and are down to eight healthy players on the roster now.

The final two spots could potentially come down to the final few games. Connecticut, Dallas and Indiana are within two games of each other in the standings.

The Sun play the Fever on Saturday and a victory would secure a season sweep of the series and give them the tiebreaker between the teams. Connecticut already owns the tiebreaker over Dallas.

The WNBA kept its same playoff format with the top two teams receiving byes to the semifinals. The first two rounds of the playoffs are single elimination.

Washington, Atlanta and New York would need a lot of help to make the postseason.

POWER POLL This week’s WNBA poll: 1. Las Vegas (12-3): The league did the Aces no favors rescheduling their postponed game to Sept.

13, giving Las Vegas backto-back games against Los Angeles and Seattle to close out the regular season.

2. Seattle (13-3): The Storm hope to have Sue Bird back this week as she’s been dealing with a bone bruise in her left knee.

3. Los Angeles (12-4): The Sparks saw their ninegame winning streak come to an end Monday night, falling to Minnesota. Still not many teams have been playing better than Los Angeles over the last few weeks.

4. Minnesota (11-5): Crystal Dangerfield has been one of the surprises of the rookie class. The second-round pick is averaging averaging 15.9 points and 3.1 assists and the Lynx are 10-4 when she starts.

5. Chicago (11-6): The Sky lost Azura Stevens (knee) and Diamond DeShields (personal reasons) for the season leaving the them short-handed.

Both players left the WNBA bubble.

The team will need to continue to rely on the strong play of Kahleah Copper, one of the most improved players in the league this season, to make a deep playoff run.

6. Phoenix (9-7): Diana Taurasi and Skylar DigginsSmith stepped up and led the Mercury to two wins last week. The pair of talented guards got a boost from Kia Vaughn’s strong play inside. She averaged 12 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds in the victories.

7. Connecticut (7-9): Like many other teams, the Sun have been hit hard by injuries. They only had eight healthy players for their win over the Mystics on Sunday. They will need Brionna Jones (ankle) to get back to full strength to make a run to the playoffs.

8. Dallas (5-10): The Wings got Satou Sabally into the lineup after a back injury and she had 46 points and 22 rebounds over her past two games.

9. Indiana (5-11): The Fever have dropped four straight, but have gotten solid performances from Natalia Achonwa. She’s averaging 12.5 points and

5.5 rebounds during the skid.

10. Washington (4-11): The Mystics have dropped 11 of 12 since opening the season 3-0. Washington did get some good news with the return of Emma Meesseman after she missed a couple games with a shoulder injury.

11. Atlanta (3-13): Chennedy Carter returned from her ankle injury and it only took two games for her to recapture her preinjury form. The rookie had 26 points in a loss to Los Angeles.

12. New York (2-13): Got their second win of the season behind strong play from Amanda Zahui B. She also set the franchise record with 21 defensive rebounds in a loss.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK Alyssa Thomas earned player of the week honors after helping Connecticut split its two games last week. She averaged 17.5 points, 10 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Other players receiving votes included Skylar Diggins-Smith of Phoenix, A’ja Wilson of Las Vegas, Breanna Stewart of Seattle and Courtney Vandersloot of Chicago.

RESCHEDULING The WNBA players decided to stand in solidarity with their NBA counterparts and not play games last Wednesday and Thursday following the shooting of Jacob Blake on August 23. That forced the WNBA to reschedule the six games that were missed.

Two of them were made up on Monday.

Connecticut meets Phoenix on Monday, September 7. The final three games will be made up on September 13 — a day after the regular season was supposed to end with Dallas-New York, Las Vegas-Seattle and Washington-Atlanta that day.

GAME OF THE WEEK Minnesota vs Chicago, today.

This game could go a long way to determining who gets the fourth seed in the playoffs and the bye out of the first round.

Minnesota won the first meeting between the teams and holds a half-game lead in the standings.

Stay tuned.

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Wednesday, September 2, 2020, PAGE 17

Economy reopens ‘in the nick of time’ ‘This system FROM PAGE 20 expenses, shipments coming in and salaries to pay but, of course, we were not getting any revenue replenishment.

“It was just in the nick of time,” he added of the re-opening. “I sympathise with many other businesses that have really had a rough time. The hotel workers, I cannot imagine what they are going through, but I am really grateful that we were able to re-open.

“It was coming to the point where we would have had to make hard decisions...... I know we need the foreign direct investment, I know we need the tourism, but I believe the economy can hold its own until we get there.”

Ben Albury suggested that Dr Hubert Minnis’ decision to relax COVID-19 restrictions, and return the Bahamian domestic economy to its partially-opened pre-August state, showed the government realised that lockdowns were an unsustainable strategy that threatened to ruin businesses and livelihoods beyond the point of no return.

“I believe the government realises lockdowns are not sustainable,” he added.

“It’s something that we’re all going to have to learn to co-exist with one way or another. We have to learn how to do so as safely as possible. I do not consider shutting down the economy to be the way of dealing with this.”

The Bahamas Bus and Truck general manager conceded that Tuesday’s activity had “tapered off a bit”, and said: “Who knows how long it will sustain, but a piece

Govt to speed up reforming its SOE loss-makers FROM PAGE 20 excess over the revised budget reflected the additional funding earmarked to assist with Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19 relief initiatives,” the report said.

“Subsidies to public non-financial corporations increased by $52m (14.9 percent) to $400.1m, as the government facilitated the hurricane-related relief and restoration activities of several SOEs. Specifically, outlays to the national airline (Bahamasair) more than doubled to $27.4m from $13.3m in fiscal year 2018-2019, primarily representing additional allocations to cover various operational costs, and the cost of repatriation flights from Abaco and Grand Bahama to New Providence.

of the pie is better than no pie. We’ll do what we can to keep staff employed safely.

“I’m optimistic we’ll see the end of this soon. The government made the right choice and I’m optimistic they’ll stick to it. We cannot open/shut down, open/shut down, open/shut down.

We just cannot sustain it. I appreciate what the government is trying to do, but they cannot look at it from one side.

“The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organisation (WHO) realise it’s not a means to an end by locking down.....

This will help to build consumer confidence. Before the last closing there were a lot of people on the fence, and when you keep closing it creates a lot of concern for us about the state of the economy and where the government is going.

This brings a lot of confidence back to people that the economy is still going to move.”

Ben Albury said customers had continued to research products using What’s App, e-mail and other forms of electronic communication during the latest lockdown, thus enabling them to move quickly once restrictions were lifted.

“I sold two vehicles yesterday and never even saw the person,” he told this newspaper. “We communicated by What’s App. I sent the pictures, the pricing and the money was wired to our account and then the vehicle delivered. I never laid eyes on the person.

“You have to be creative.

This is a forward-thinking world. These tools will be in place a long time, and we need to use them.”

Meanwhile, Fred Albury, the Bahamas Motor Dealers Association’s (BMDA) president, told Tribune Business that the industry had been placed on the same level as food stores and pharmacies after the government allowed it to open to in-store customer sales.

“While we were not expecting that we are very thankful for it,” he said.

“That’s a tremendous convenience for clients. This time of year, the sun is very hot, and to have people standing in the hot sun or rain.......”

Describing business volumes immediately following the economy’s re-opening as “hectic”, Fred Albury added: “Everybody’s getting back into the groove of doing what they’re supposed to be doing and following the protocols.

“Parts, we can allow so many people in at a time, and sales being what they are are not too much of a concern.

Service, we tend to have people wait in their car and when it comes time to pay they come in one at a time.

As a society, this is going to be with us for a while and we have to co-exist with it.

If we don’t allow places to open up, people are going to starve to death out there.”

Arguing that the government’s decision to re-open the economy was critical, the Auto Mall chief said: “Fortunately with the relaxing last time we were able to onboard some inventory.

Our inventory has peaked and we don’t have much in the pipeline, so our outlay of funds will not be that much from now until the end of the year. If we’re able to sell a few vehicles, and keep service and parts going, that will keep the doors open.”

“Additionally, transfers to the Water & Sewerage Corporation to assist with repairs to water mains increased by $15.9m (51.3 percent) to $46.9m, and these outlays were also higher for the Public Hospital Authority by $22.3m (9.7 percent) at $252.5m.

Meanwhile, outlays to the National Health Insurance Authority were relatively stable at $24m.”

Mr Turnquest, meanwhile, said paying-off the $360m worth of unfunded arrears that the Minnis administration inherited upon taking office in 2017 remained a “priority” and would not be compromised by the government’s COVID-related fiscal crisis.

Some $237.3m had been paid-off as at June 30, 2020, and the deputy prime minister affirmed: “They’re still a priority. Those persons we are still working on paying have been very generous with the amount of time taken to make those payments, so we will try to pay them as soon as we can.

We will continue to work on

those as we work to meet our fixed commitments.”

Mr Turnquest also confirmed that the government was likely to extend or rollover the $30m worth of “shareholder loans”, divided into two credit lines worth $30m each, that it has provided to Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) and which are coming due for repayment this month.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that MICHELET DANIEL, Barcardi Road, Nassau, New Providence, 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 2nd day of September 2020 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

is set up to stop business’ FROM PAGE 20

saying this doesn’t make any sense.

“I’ve got to do that so no one can say they were unaware. The whole way the system in this country works is to stop business, not facilitate business. The business licence should not be about giving you permission to open a business; it’s about getting revenue from your business.

“You have the constitutional right to work and earn, but we use it as a permission to do that. We need to be encouraging people to do so we have revenue streams pouring into the Treasury.

But they don’t understand that, and it’s killing the economy.”

Mr Bowe said suggestions to improve The Bahamas, its economy and quality of life were too often treated as “political” and ignored by those with the ability to implement much-needed reforms. “We cannot make

a country work like this,” he added. “Many of my friends in the US say The Bahamas is not a real country, not a real place. We see that every day...

“Let me give you a real story. My son in Canada, he has no money, but he is starting an investment bank. I’m in The Bahamas, associated with people. He can open an investment bank and I cannot open a bank account.

“We tried to start a credit union and the Central Bank said: ‘No’. My eldest son is here with me, and I told him today that the only thing keeping him here is COVID19 and the fact no airlines are flying. It does not make sense to be in The Bahamas if you can be somewhere else.

People can take that how they want to take it.”

Mr Bowe said his multiple business interests have all been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated lockdowns and restrictions. “Sales are down tremendously,” he added.

“On some sides we’re building back from zero.

“On the retail side we’ve got a multi-shop selling technical items, supplements. For a period, from mid-March to May, we were just shut down.

Sometimes we were on for a

piece of the day, not sure if we were open or closed. That was devastating, and we’re just starting to be open again.”

Mr Bowe added that business volumes at his AFS insurance brokerage/agency business “went way down” during the first COVID-19 lockdown, although they were “showing some signs of coming back” as persons needed to insure vehicles and homes.

“On the insurance side it’s down 20 percent from where we expected it to be for the year,” he told Tribune Business. Mr Bowe also revealed that he had decided to discontinue his plastic cups manufacturing business, and a planned switch to biodegradable products even though these were not banned, due to the loss of clients - such as hotels - and subsequently staff due to the pandemic.

“The working class have to be encouraged to be productive, and the other classes have to be encouraged to pay their fair share,” Mr Bowe said of the way forward. “I don’t see how the public service cannot recognise the government will be unable to pay them for doing nothing. People need to go back to work safely or the government will run out of money.”

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

(242) 323-2330

TUESDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER 2020

(242) 323-2320

ALL SHARE INDEX: CLOSE: 2,094.43 | CHG: -0.17 | %CHG: -0.01 | YTD: -137.17 | YTD%: -6.15 BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 4.10 22.65 2.00 1.79 2.50 6.00 6.75 5.47 8.59 4.50 6.16 12.77 3.64 5.49 10.88 8.44 16.99 4.25 9.40 15.21

52WK LOW 3.13 20.91 0.67 1.79 1.67 5.40 5.39 2.00 5.05 3.62 5.60 11.05 2.71 2.64 9.60 7.10 13.04 3.20 8.00 13.90

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 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 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

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

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

SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2015-1-3Y BGS: 2014-12-5Y BGS: 2015-1-5Y BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-3Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-3Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y

BAH29 BG0203 BG0105 BG0205 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0303 BG0307 BG0330 BG0403 BG0407

LAST CLOSE 3.51 17.43 1.62 1.79 1.67 6.00 6.75 2.99 5.10 3.77 6.10 11.26 2.41 5.30 9.99 8.44 14.30 3.99 8.97 15.20

CLOSE 3.51 17.43 1.62 1.79 1.67 6.00 6.75 2.99 5.10 3.77 6.10 11.26 2.31 5.30 9.89 8.44 14.30 3.99 8.97 15.20

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.10 0.00 -0.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 0.90

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 0.90

LAST SALE 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

VOLUME

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

EPS$ 0.239 0.932 0.000 0.000 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

DIV$ 0.170 1.260 0.020 0.000 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 14.7 18.7 N/M N/M N/M N/M 18.3 -6.8 36.4 20.5 13.6 15.6 22.6 11.3 15.3 11.6 17.5 19.7 9.6 24.1

YIELD 4.84% 7.23% 1.23% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 3.85% 0.00% 0.00% 3.18% 3.61% 6.39% 18.79% 1.13% 3.32% 2.84% 3.78% 3.01% 2.23% 4.01%

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%

19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

6.95% 4.00% 4.25% 4.25% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.00% 4.50% 6.25% 3.50% 4.25%

20-Nov-2029 30-Jul-2018 16-Dec-2019 30-Jul-2020 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2018 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2018 15-Oct-2022

MATURITY

MUTUAL FUNDS

NOTICE EXXONMOBIL GABON INVESTMENTS LIMITED __________________________________ N O T I C E IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows: (a)

(b)

(c)

EXXONMOBIL GABON INVESTMENTS LIMITED is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 27th day of July 2020 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

The Liquidator of the said Company is Mario Pedercini, of 22777 Springwoods Village Parkway, Spring, Texas 77389, U.S.A.

52WK HI 2.34 4.41 2.11 198.39 168.29 1.69 1.85 1.77 1.24 8.34 10.26 7.08 12.15 12.71 10.81 10.00 8.98 11.79

52WK LOW 2.11 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.64 1.79 1.73 1.06 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 Preferred Income Fund Leno Growth Fund Leno Diversified Fund Leno Global USD 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 2.34 4.41 2.11 196.40 163.60 1.68 1.81 1.76 1.07 8.30 9.90 7.08 11.27 12.71 10.23 N/A 8.93 11.27

YTD% 12 MTH% 2.13% 4.00% 0.91% 2.59% 1.04% 2.39% 0.65% 2.50% -1.88% 3.33% 1.10% 2.34% -2.43% 1.49% 0.34% 2.43% -11.07% -9.92% -0.45% 8.36% -3.20% 11.46% 2.10% 5.15% -6.17% 3.54% 2.92% 5.55% -4.66% -3.81% N/A N/A -4.20% 0.20% -8.60% -2.90%

MARKET TERMS

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price

52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks

Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity

52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks

Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity

Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume

Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price

Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume

Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week

Change - Change in closing price from day to day

EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths

Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today

NAV - Net Asset Value

DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months

N/M - Not Meaningful

P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

Dated the 3rd day of September, 2020 HARRY B. SANDS, LOBOSKY MANAGEMENT CO. LTD. Registered Agent for the above-named Company

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

NAV Date

30-Jun-2020 30-Jun-2020 26-Jun-2020 30-Jun-2020 30-Jun-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 30-Jun-2020 30-Jun-2020 30-Jun-2020

PAGE 18, Wednesday, September 2, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

MP’s brother solves developer’s tax woe FROM PAGE 20 to do engineering work, he’ll greet them, host them, show them around.”

Disclosing that Michael Johnson’s tasks extend to environmental monitoring, and testing for “turbidity” or water discoloration, Mr Wiener added: “It’s a 27-acre piece of property and we have about, you know, $5m of equipment sitting on the ground, so he makes sure that there’s security there so nothing gets stolen.

“He makes sure -- he makes sure that the property is not used as a dump ground. He helps liaise with local government. He helps liaise with different government agencies of Nassau - administrative works, department of planning, Prime Minister’s Office.

He’s your... he’s just

basically a go-to guy. I’m not there. He’s the only representative I have on the ground since Bernard [Ross] left the island.”

Clearly using information provided by their client, Mr Ross’ attorneys quickly turned to 4M’s tax dispute with the Bahamian government and the issue of whether Michael Johnson represented the developer in resolving the situation.

“He was involved in helping us resolve that dispute,” Mr Wiener said of the MP’s brother. “I wonder if I signed something that said he was authorised... I don’t recall. But he definitely did liaise with the government to facilitate a resolution of that dispute.”

Mr Ross’ US attorneys immediately pounced, asking: “How did he get that done? He’s an electrician.” This produced

a sharp riposte from Mr Wiener, who said: “I’m a lawyer but I changed an electrical outlet over the weekend. And so same answer: People have more than one skill.”

However, the 4M principal then admitted he had been seeking the “tax refund” for six to eight months without success prior to putting Michael Johnson on the case. “I’m trying to remember who it is now because it’s been -- it’s been a couple of years,” he said of the person who previously sought to resolve the dispute. “I don’t know if it was an attorney or a tax consultant. I don’t know.”

Mr Wiener, though, said he was “completely unaware that Mr Johnson was going to liaise on our behalf” with the government over the tax liability until informed about it by

Mr Ross. Asked whether he accepted the position, the 4M principal confirmed this, and added: “I take help from whoever can help.”

The nature of the tax dispute in question is not revealed, although the record of Mr Wiener’s deposition refers to a “refund” - indicating that it likely involved value-added tax (VAT), or possibly import duties and excise taxes even though these would normally be waived under a development’s Heads of Agreement with the government.

Michael Johnson did not return Tribune Business’ call and message seeking comment before press time last night. Similarly, a spokesman for Mr Wiener and 4M Harbour Island Ltd did not provide any statement or comment despite being given an opportunity to do so by this newspaper.

However, one source close to the project, speaking on condition of anonymity, downplayed the contents of Mr Wiener’s deposition regarding Michael Johnson and the tax dispute. They argued that many foreign developers were similarly forced to

rely on “whoever you trust on the ground” to deal with all obstacles to their investment’s success - especially when they were not present.

“These are things that happen elsewhere in The Bahamas,” the source said, adding that the deposition transcript provided no evidence of wrongdoing by any of the parties involved.

The deposition’s filing with the California courts, though, suggests Mr Ross is seeking to intensify the pressure on Mr Wiener to pay him the allegedly outstanding $1m remaining on the settlement agreement that secured the ex-convict’s departure from the Harbour Island project.

The pair agreed a $2.3m deal, with Mr Wiener paying Mr Ross and his wife, Holly, the first $1.319m installment, after their differences over the development’s management became impossible to reconcile. However, the 4M principal halted payment of the remaining $1m on the basis that his former project manager had created more issues and damages than first realised.

Mr Ross then headed to the central California court

The Bahamas Public Services Union

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT In accordance with Article 21, Paragraph 1 of the Bahamas Public Services Union Constitution (Revised 1995).

The Bahamas Public Services Union is welcoming Nominations for the Election of Officers 2020 for the following positions: • President • Executive Vice President • Vice President • Vice President, Northern Region • Secretary General • Assistant Secretary General • Treasurer • Trustees Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Emergency Power Orders, the BPSU’s Office is being operated remotely. Therefore, Nomination Forms will be issued via email; cindiranbain@gmail.com commencing Monday, August 25th, 2020.

The deadline for the submission of Nomination Forms via email is Sunday, September 6th, 2020 at 4:00 pm.

Should you require any additional information, the Office of the Secretary General can be contacted at (242) 424-1999.

in a bid to force Mr Wiener to honour the settlement and pay the $1m balance, triggering the ongoing battle between the duo. Yet, in another headache for Mr Wiener, his deposition - and especially the reference to the $400,000 tax dispute settlement and Michael Johnson’s involvement are likely to be seized upon by other opponents of his project.

For Br-Island Responsible Development Association (BIRD), whose second Judicial Review challenge to 4M’s construction permits began before the Bahamian Supreme Court in late July 2020, is now seeking an order from the same central California court to force Mr Wiener to give it a deposition.

BIRD, whose members are mainly drawn from a group of Harbour Island homeowners and residents, is using previous affidavit evidence from Mr Ross concerning Michael Johnson’s connections to the project as the basis for its application to the California court.

That action, filed in late August 2020, comes as BIRD’s previous bid to obtain deposition testimony from Mr Ross directly - something Mr Wiener branded as a “last-ditch fishing expedition” - goes nowhere fast in the Florida courts.

A source close to 4M told this newspaper: “The sad reality is this is showing their [BIRD’s] hand. They’re going to continue until they feel they’ve exhausted every avenue, and have frustrated the project to the point of no return.

“The people hurt most by this are the people of Harbour Island who want jobs and something to do. The whole country needs this to succeed. Who else wants to put money into the ground at this point?”

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, September 2, 2020, PAGE 19

Asian shares mixed after US rally, positive data

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after another U.S. rally spurred by positive economic data, even while the coronavirus pandemic has regions around the world battling recessions.

Benchmarks rose in Tokyo and Sydney but fell in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Australia reported its worst drop in GDP ever, with a 7% contraction in the April-June quarter. That resulted in the

country’s first recession in 30 years.

However, regional market sentiment was boosted by some betterthan-expected data on the U.S. economy.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 edged up 0.3% in morning trading to 23,204.94. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.5% to 6,043.20. South Korea’s Kospi was flat, at 2,350.10.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.5% to 25,059.92, while the Shanghai Composite shed 0.5% to 3,393.58.

Regional market sentiment was lifted by

better-than-expected economic data overnight. The U.S. Commerce Department said construction spending in the U.S. edged higher in July, breaking a string of losses due to disruptions caused by the pandemic.

“A positive tone had been assumed by Asia markets, finding inspiration from Wall Street with the gains notched overnight,” said Jingyi Pan, market strategist at IG in Singapore.

“Although the U.S. economy is nowhere near the state before the COVID-19 hit yet, these evidences of

continued recovery nevertheless works in the favor of keeping the cautious optimism and the equity rally going,” she said in a commentary.

The Institute for Supply Management said its latest manufacturing index increased last month, reflecting a faster pace of expansion by American factories.

Investors will be looking for more clues on the state of the economic recovery this week, including the monthly U.S. jobs report on Friday.

Wall Street kicked off September with another set

of milestones Tuesday, as an afternoon rally carried the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite to all-time highs.

The S&P 500 jumped 0.8% to 3,526.65. The index set several new highs last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average recovered from early losses, climbing 0.8% to 28,645.66.

The Nasdaq composite rose 1.4%, to 11,939.67.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks also bounced back from an sluggish start, adding 16.71 points, or 1.1%, to 1,578.58.

Encouraging data as broad swaths of the economy have reopened this

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 93° F/34° C Low: 75° F/24° C

TAMPA

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Partly sunny, a shower; breezy

Partly cloudy

A t‑storm in spots in the morning

Sunshine and breezy

A t‑storm in spots in the morning

A passing shower; clouds and sun

High: 91°

Low: 80°

High: 91° Low: 81°

High: 92° Low: 80°

High: 91° Low: 79°

High: 90° Low: 78°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

102° F

89° F

102°-90° F

102°-87° F

98°-86° F

99°-86° F

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

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 84° F/29° C

6‑12 knots

S

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 80° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 82° F/28° C

E

W S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

N

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 81° F/27° C

MIAMI

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 81° F/27° C

4‑8 knots

KEY WEST

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 84° F/29° C

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 80° F/27° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 83° F/28° C

N

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

tiDes For nassau Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

8:41 a.m.

9:00 p.m.

High

Ht.(ft.)

3.0 3.3

2:44 a.m.

2:49 p.m.

0.6 0.5

Thursday

9:19 a.m.

9:37 p.m.

3.1 3.2

3:20 a.m.

3:29 p.m.

0.6 0.6

Friday

9:57 a.m.

10:13 p.m.

3.1 3.1

3:55 a.m.

4:08 p.m.

0.6 0.7

Saturday

10:34 a.m.

10:48 p.m.

3.0 3.0

4:29 a.m.

4:47 p.m.

0.7 0.8

Sunday

11:12 a.m.

11:25 p.m.

3.0 2.8

5:03 a.m.

5:28 p.m.

0.8 0.9

Monday

11:52 a.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

3.0 ‑‑‑‑‑

5:38 a.m.

6:11 p.m.

0.9 1.1

Tuesday

12:05 a.m.

12:35 p.m.

2.6 2.9

6:16 a.m.

6:58 p.m.

1.0 1.3

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:51 a.m.

7:27 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

8:06 p.m.

7:05 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Sep. 2

Sep. 10

Sep. 17

Sep. 23

CAT ISLAND

E

W

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

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7‑14 knots

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8‑16 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 ................................................... 90° F/32° C Low .................................................... 77° F/25° C Normal high ....................................... 88° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 75° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 86° F/30° C Last year’s low ................................... 76° F/24° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday .................................. trace Year to date ............................................... 38.43” Normal year to date ................................... 25.25”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

summer have helped stoke investor optimism about a recovery.

Traders have been favoring technology stocks as the pandemic has dragged on, forcing millions of people to rely more than ever on internet-connected devices and online services for work, home schooling and communication.

Apple climbed 4% Tuesday. It’s up more than 82% this year. Zoom Video Communications soared 40.8%, a day after the now-ubiquitous video conferencing service reported another quarter of explosive growth.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

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High: 90° F/32° C Low: 83° F/28° C

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LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

8‑16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 89° F/32° C Low: 82° F/28° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 87° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

H

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 90° F/32° C Low: 82° F/28° C

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10‑20 knots

8‑16 knots

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

Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday:

WINDS SE at 6‑12 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots NE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots NE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots

WAVES 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 4‑8 Feet 4‑8 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 87° F 86° F 88° F 88° F 86° F 86° F 85° F 85° F 87° F 87° F 86° F 87° F 87° F 87° F 85° F 85° F 86° F 86° F 87° F 87° F 87° F 87° F 86° F 86° F 87° F 87° F

business@tribunemedia.net

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

$3.98

K PETER TURNQUEST

Govt to speed up reforming its SOE loss-makers

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE deputy prime minister yesterday pledged to accelerate state-owned enterprise (SOE) reforms after they proved the one area of recurrent spending overruns in the revised 2019-2020 budget.

K Peter Turnquest told Tribune Business the government must now “look in even more detail” at proposals from the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) accounting firm for arresting the multi-million burden imposed annually on Bahamian taxpayers by lossmakers such as Bahamasair and the Water & Sewerage Corporation given the fiscal blowout created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the government’s recurrent (fixed-cost) spending came in $179m below the $2.688bn estimate presented in the revised post-Dorian budget, subsidies to SOEs represented the one area where the government overshot its target.

These subventions exceeded projections by 11.5 percent, coming in at $427m instead of the budgeted $383m.

“As we’ve outlined over the past two years, the public corporations and SOEs are continuing concerns for us as the level of subsidy we provide those entities is unsustainable,” Mr Turnquest said. “We’ve had reviews done into a number of them, and they’ve given us some recommendations.

“We’ll be looking at those in even more detail given all that has happened to see how to put into effect some of those, and save future costs and subventions required. Clearly, as we look into the future we have to figure out how to make these things cost recovery based or charge the necessary fees to ensure they are viable.

“It seems to be unfair to general taxpayers to make them pay for these services when they may not be getting direct benefits. We do have to rationalise them, and wring out whatever efficiencies we can in the first instance and determine whether the operating structure is right to take them into the future.”

The government, in its report on the full 2019-2020 budget year and the three months to end-June 2020, blamed Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19 relief efforts for the increase in subsidies to SOEs and public corporations.

“Subsidies, comprising transfers to governmentowned and/or controlled units that provide commercial goods and services to the public, expanded by $34.8m (8.9 percent) to $427.5m. The 11.7 percent

SEE PAGE 17

$3.98

$4.03

MP’s brother solves developer’s tax woe

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A

N MP’s brother succeeded where all others failed by resolving a Harbour Island developer’s $400,000 tax dispute with the Bahamian government, Tribune Business can reveal.

Court documents obtained by this newspaper disclose that Michael Johnson, brother of Stephen “Hank” Johnson, the Central and South Eleuthera MP, was instrumental in resolving a potential liability that had dogged 4M Harbour Island Ltd and its principal, Michael Wiener, for six to eight months prior to his involvement.

An electrician by profession, Michael Johnson was described by Mr Wiener as his “go-to-guy” for removing all obstacles facing his Briland Residences and

• ‘Go-to-guy’ ends $400k Briland dispute • After six-eight months of others’ efforts • 4M chief: ‘Definitely’ no politics involved Marina project. This even extended to tax matters although Ryan Pinder, the former financial services minister and 4M’s attorney, would appear to be more qualified to deal with such an issue.

Michael Johnson’s role in “liaising with the government” to solve 4M Harbour Island’s tax woes was revealed in a 295-page deposition given by Mr Wiener as part of his ongoing California court battle with Bernard Ross, his former project manager who has a history of convictions and run-ins with US law enforcement.

However, the 4M principal vehemently denied, when questioned by Mr Ross’ attorneys, that

Michael Johnson told him he could use his ties to his MP brother, or the latter’s political links, to help resolve the tax dispute in the project’s favour.

“Definitely not,” Mr Wiener replied, when asked about a man he had described as “primarily...... an electrical contractor” just minutes before, according to the deposition transcript.

Yet while Michael Johnson and his company, Mickyle Enterprises, were likely to receive much of the project’s electrical work, the 4M principal said he had not personally vetted his ability to perform what was required.

This, Mr Wiener said, would be the task of

Bahamas Marine Construction, the development’s general or main contractor.

Admitting that his relationship with Michael Johnson extended beyond electrical work to a wider “consulting agreement”, Mr Wiener effectively admitted that the MP’s brother operates as a “fixer” to solve all problems affecting Briland Residences and Marina’s progress.

“He basically does whatever needs to happen,” the 4M chief said of Michael Johnson. “If we need to buy water, he’ll buy water. If he needs to go to Nassau and make photocopies, he’ll go and do that. If he needs to meet people to come over

SEE PAGE 18

‘This system is set up to stop business’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A BUSINESSMAN yesterday blasted the bureaucratic obstacles further frustrating his family’s near three-decade wait to launch an Andros farming venture, saying: “The system is set up to stop business.”

Ethric Bowe, who played a key role in seeking compensation for businesses impacted by the New Providence Road Improvement Project almost one decade ago, told Tribune Business he was being forced to “run in a circle” over efforts to obtain a bank account and business licence for his Family Farm Ltd venture.

He revealed that it was “over ten weeks” and counting since he applied for the business licence that will allow him to open the company bank account for the proposed entity. However, Mr Bowe disclosed he had

• Further frustration on three-decade farming wait • Businessman slams bank, licence run around • ‘Makes no sense if you can be somewhere else’

ETHRIC BOWE been informed no business licence would be forthcoming until he first produced a farming certificate from the agricultural authorities.

And those same authorities had told him he needed to be farming before he could obtain such a certificate - something that Mr Bowe said he interpreted as

meaning he must first farm illegally in order to become legitimate.

“It has taken from 1993 to now for us to get 25 acres in Andros,” he told this newspaper. “We’ve been leased the 25 acres but have not been given permission to farm. You figure that out. We don’t have the certificate to actually farm, so they’re telling you in their terms to go farm illegally, then apply for permits.

“There’s something wrong.

These are people with masters degrees, and they’re running you in a circle. It’s fantastic. We started a company called The Family Farm Ltd to start farming. We have the company formed, but are having issues with the bank because we cannot open a

company bank account.

“The bank says to open a company account you need a business licence. You go to the government and they say we need a farming certificate and, when you go for that, they say to get a farming certificate you need to be farming,” Mr Bowe continued.

“We’ve been over tenweeks trying to get a business licence because we want to open a bank account. I’ve spoken to the minister of finance (K Peter Turnquest), I’ve spoken to the minister of agriculture (Michael Pintard), so I’m getting ready to address a letter to the prime minister, minister of finance and minister of agriculture

SEE PAGE 17

$3.95 Workforce flexibility key to COVID reality

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net WORKFORCE flexibility will be key as Bahamian companies struggle to adapt to the new COVID-19 environment, human resources chiefs said yesterday.

Paul Haven, Doctor’s Hospital’s human resources director, told a webinar organised by The Counsellors: “We need a workforce that is agile, and that can adopt and adapt. Those are the things that are going to cause a business to thrive or to be able to operate in this new normal.”

Richenda King, Bahamas First’s human resources director, added: “I think the most important thing for employers is that you want business continuity.

You want a more robust, responsive organisation with increasing flexibility and one that is able to respond to challenges.

“We have looked at disruptors for a long time, technical disruptors, and things like the weather as we just came out of Hurricane Dorian. For the insurance industry that was a major disruptor - the largest ever.

So we are always dealing with disruptors in the industry. Our ability to respond to these challenges now and in the future; that’s critical.

With business continuity and planning you will always be able to bounce back.”

Ms King continued: “Companies can do a couple of things. They can stay small and stay insulated, and they can try to be as risk-free as possible. They can scale down their business, they can do all of those things.

“I think one of the things we have done really well at Bahamas First is that we have watched the market and looked at opportunities to expand our business and grow our model - to diversify, to go into the region. So we have had the opportunity to do that, and we have done that really well.

“We have kind of integrated our business model with other models that are similar to what we have, and we have been able to grow quite well in that way. I think this is a way for companies to review their business model and position themselves to expand their footprint.”

Economy reopens ‘in the nick of time’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A BAHAMIAN auto dealer yesterday said his parts section sold “25 percent of what we normally do in an entire month” on the economy’s first reopening day, which arrived “just in the nick of time”.

Ben Albury, Bahamas Bus and Truck’s general manager, told Tribune Business he had been rapidly approaching a position “where we would have had to make some hard decisions” to secure the dealership’s future just prior to the prime minister’s

• Auto dealer was heading towards ‘hard decisions’ • Parts section does 25% of monthly sale in one day • Industry gets go-ahead for customer in-store sales

BEN ALBURY

decision to relax COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

Confirming that there had been significant “pent-up demand” stemming from the second lockdown, much as there had been when the first was eased, Ben Albury said technology was playing an increasing role in the auto industry as he “never laid eyes” on two of the three vehicle buyers his firm dealt with this week.

Speaking after the auto

industry received the “unexpected” boost of being permitted to sell to customers in-store, the Bahamas Bus and Truck chief added that it was better to have “a piece of the pie rather than no pie” even though he acknowledged the initial demand wave was likely to taper-off with the tourism industry and other sectors still closed.

Nevertheless, voicing optimism that the domestic

economy can “hold its own” until foreign exchange-earning sectors re-open, Ben Albury said: “The first day was fantastic. There was a lot of traffic, and a lot of sales in parts, vehicles and service.

There was a lot of pent-up demand. It was the same thing that happened after we were closed for two months; the business was there, the demand was there.

“My parts department yesterday [Monday] did 25 percent of what they would normally do over an entire month. It was badly needed.

Our cash position was really disrupted. We have fixed

SEE PAGE 17