09142017 business

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business@tribunemedia.net

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017

$4.25 GOVT WANTS ‘ZONING’ TRIGGERS FOR REGIONAL HURRICANE PAYOUTS By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net THE Government wants to renegotiate the way payouts from a Caribbean disaster insurance facility are triggered by dividing the Bahamas into zones, it was revealed yesterday. K Peter Turnquest, the Deputy Prime Minister, said the Government wanted to revise the payout “trigger points” with the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) to maximise the potential insurance payout following a major hurricane. The Bahamas is due to receive a $234,000 Hurricane Irma-related payout from CCRIF, which the Christie administration previously withdrew from. While the payment is due to be made within the next two weeks, this sum is less than 1 per cent of total Irmarelated payouts by CCRIF,

Aiming to renegotiate CCRIF policy Wants facility to divide Bahamas in three Revelation comes after just $234k recovery and represents a fraction of the multi-million dollar sum required to repair damage in Ragged Island, Inagua and Acklins. Mr Turnquest told Tribune Business yesterday: “I’m at least pleased that we are able to get something back, which will help us to carry out some of the restoration work that needs to happen. “That money will go into the NEMA account to be distributed for See PG B4

Irma hits 80% of Bahamas’ marina market By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net BAHAMIAN marinas are concerned that Hurricane Irma’s strike on Florida could impact 80 per cent of their market, although most reported no storm-related damage themselves. Stephen Kappeler, the Association of Bahamas Marinas (ABM) president, said that with most members reporting no damage from Hurricane Irene the industry was “open and ready for business”. although he admitted concern over Irma’s impact on Florida which he estimated represents 80 per

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Irma exposes ‘dire need to put our house in order’ By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net HURRICANE Irma has reinforced “the dire need” for the Bahamas to put “its fiscal and economic house in order” before a similar storm strikes, a governance reformer warned yesterday. Robert Myers, an Organisation for Responsible Governance (ORG) principal, told Tribune Business that Irma would have sent unemployment and the $7.2 billion national debt “through the roof” had it struck New Providence as a Category Five storm.

Jobless, national debt ‘through roof’ if direct hit Reformer: ‘Serious wake-up call’ for Govt Warns: ‘We don’t have luxury of time’ ROBERT MYERS Describing Irma as “a serious wake-up call” for the Government, private sector and all Bahamians, Mr Myers said this nation

was effectively out of time to strengthen its economy and public finances against the ravages of such a hurricane.

“I hope with all my heart that the Bahamas government has a serious wake-up call in the wake of Hurricane Irma,” he wrote on his Facebook page yesterday, pointing to the short and long-term devastation inflicted on many Caribbean islands. “God bless them all,” he added of those nations, “and may God guide our government to recognise the dire need to steer the Bahamas back to a position of socio-economic stability as soon as truly possible.” Expanding on his concerns in a subsequent See PG B8

‘Extreme concern’ over Grand Lucayan silence By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

CAREY LEONARD

A FREEPORT attorney yesterday said he was “extremely concerned” about the Government’s renewed silence on the Grand Lucayan, urging: “They’ve got to take the bull by the horns.” Carey Leonard, the former Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA)

in-house counsel, told Tribune Business he feared both government and public attention had been distracted by Hurricane Irma. Now a Callenders & Co attorney and partner, Mr Leonard said the economic impact of the resort’s prolonged closure was at least equivalent to that inflicted by Irma. He reiterated his previous call for the See PG B8

Ex-GBPA attorney fears Irma distraction Renews ‘compulsory acquisition’ call Tells Govt: ‘Take bull by the horns’

Marina chief ‘very concerned’ on Florida impact But just three of 27 marinas close from storm Two due to open by September 21 cent of this nation’s boating market. The ABM yesterday reported that only three of its 27 member marinas have reported damage that prevents them from opening for business. The Bimini See PG B5

Some ‘leading stores’ on price gouge list By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net THE Price Control Commission’s (PCC) chairman yesterday said some “leading supermarkets” will be included in its report to the Government on preIrma ‘price gouging’. Syndia Dorsett said the Commission expects to have a comprehensive report ready today relative to complaints of ‘price gouging’ ahead of the storm. She was speaking after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, while addressing Parliament yesterday, said “several individuals and supermarkets” have been

Commission to give report today PM: Businesses referred to AG referred to the Attorney General’s Office over ‘price gouging’ allegations. When contacted by Tribune Business, Ms Dorsett said: “We are doing a comprehensive report on it as right now, and it should be ready by Thursday. We are putting everything together so that we will have a good idea as to the number of stores and what the items were involved. See PG B4

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