Bahamas must ‘see through’ anti-corruption reform moves
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
THE Bahamas was yesterday urged to “see through” its anti-corruption reforms package to full completion after a US government report highlighted “growing concerns” over its governance systems.
Matt Aubry, the Organisation for Responsible Governance’s (ORG) executive director, told Tribune Business that laws such as the Freedom of Information Act, Ombudsman Act and recently-passed Independent Commission of Investigations Bill represent “a formidable framework” for combating graft plus boosting transparency and accountability in how the Government interacts with all citizens.
He warned, though, that “it’s critical” such reforms do not exist solely “on paper” or “as a theory”, and that they must start to deliver “real and tangible
results” for the Bahamian people through being fully implemented and backed with the necessary financing, staff and resources to ensure proper enforcement.
Mr Aubry, noting that this nation is seeking to break with a “murky past”, spoke out after the US State Department, in its 2025 ‘investment climate statement on The Bahamas, repeated what are becoming annual concerns about the stalling, delaying or inadequate implementation of anti-corruption and governance reforms that have been much-touted by multiple administrations
Storm drives 25% weekend surge for Super Value sales
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
SUPER Value’s president yesterday revealed weekend sales were “at least 25 percent” above normal as New Providence residents raced to stock-up before Tropical Storm Imelda’s arrival.
Debra Symonette told Tribune Business that Bahamians were “shopping like crazy” at the 13-store supermarket chain’s outlets from Friday as the likelihood of this nation suffering a direct hit from the system increased.
BISX-listed AML Foods was also inundated by customers taking no chances. “Solomon’s Yamacraw probably had a record day yesterday [Saturday] parking lot full for the first time ever that I saw,” one source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said. “I had to wait for a grocery cart, long lines at the register. People were stocking up as if there was an apocalypse instead of a heavy rainstorm.”
Ms Symonette, meanwhile, told this newspaper: “People were shopping like crazy. I guess we can just say that everybody took advantage of the stores being open and they showed up. The main thing is everybody was getting prepared, everybody showed up, and it’s up to us to have on hand what they need
(see other article on Page 1B).
The report, which has been seen by Tribune Business, asserts that - despite the introduction of the Public Procurement Act and digital ‘Go Bonfire’ procurement platform - “a lack of transparent investment procedures and legislation continues to create challenges for investors”. It added that The Bahamas’ nine-point fall in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index since 2011 indicates “growing concerns over governance and anti-corruption enforcement”,
and noted that the office appointed to administer the Freedom of Information Act still lacks the necessary technical and administrative staff some eight years after the Act was passed.
The US ‘investment climate statement’ on The Bahamas also asserted it is “unclear” why implementation of the Office of the Ombudsman, which would deal with complaints of maladministration and illtreatment of Bahamians in their interaction with
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US questions progress over ‘Bahamas Invest’
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A US government report has challenged the lack of “visible progress” made by The Bahamas in converting its key investment agency into the long-promised Bahamas Invest.
The US State Department, in its just-released 2025 ‘investment climate statement’ on The Bahamas, said it is “unclear whether it remains a government priority” to transform the existing Bahamas Investment Authority (BIA) into a renamed entity modelled along the lines of its Jamaican counterpart.
Noting that major investment projects in The Bahamas require approval by multiple government agencies, the report, which has been seen by Tribune Business, asserted: “Bureaucratic impediments are not limited to the National Economic Council (NEC) approvals process.
“The country lags on international metrics related to starting a business, registering property, acquiring construction permits, accessing credit and resolving property disputes. Significant delays in the approvals process have occurred, including cases where the Government failed
Andros bonefish lodge sees 50% Imelda boost
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net
AN Andros bonefishing lodge yesterday attributed a sudden 50 percent uptick in business to Tropical Storm
Imelda’s passing. Cheryl Bastian, proprietor of Swain’s Cay Lodge, told Tribune Business that choosing to remain open during the flat fishing industry’s off-season has paid-off after she and her staff spent two days catering to visitors who came to Mangrove Cay in the hope of escaping the storm’s worst.
Hotels chief: Imelda ‘truly a non-event’
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) president yesterday branded Tropical Storm Imelda as “truly a non-event” that created “very little drama” for the country’s largest industry.
Jackson Weech, also general manager for operations at Atlantis, told Tribune Business that he and the BHTA had received no reports of any Bahamas-based resort sustaining physical damages to their properties as a result of the storm’s passage.
“Generally, straight across the archipelago, we fared rather well,” he said. “We have no reports of any physical damage being sustained at any of the resorts.
“Actually it was a whole airline, a local one. I don’t want to call names. But they brought in like, four or five planes to park here because at the first forecast, it looked like it definitely was going to impact Nassau,” Ms Bastian said.
“And given the flooding, given the stronger impact there, they came to Andros, which at the first set of forecasts, both international and our local forecast, it looked as if Nassau was going to get the full brunt, and basically Andros would be pretty light. And then it switched.
“They were also concerned if they made the right move. But
then, as a result of that, Humberto, the hurricane, category four which had formed, with the factors out there, it pulled that storm more eastward. And so it pulled it away from Andros, resulting in better results for all of us and, for us, a positive impact. I mean that we made them so happy they want to come back and we had very good ‘five star’ remarks about their weekend with us.
“We were fortunate to have an airline that brought its plane to Mangrove Cay and the staff stayed here,” Ms Bastian continued. “So, actually, it was an uptick in business. We had two great days of 50 percent occupancy and food and drinks, that sort of thing, when, typically it’d be quiet because the season doesn’t really open for us here for fly fishing.
Equally as important, when there were any guests unable to get out of our resorts, and there were one or two, they were fed and taken care of.
“The airport [Lynden Pindling International Airport] re-opened at 10am this morning and most of those visitors made their way out. Thankfully, it turned out to be an event with very little drama. We’re pleased with the way it turned out: Truly a non-event.”
Mr Weech was echoed by Robert Sands, his immediate past predecessor as BHTA president and also Baha Mar’s senior vice-president for external and government affairs, who told this newspaper: “We’re still gathering information. A number of persons have not really reported in real numbers to work.
“To the best of my knowledge other than cancellations due to airport closures, and we obviously have some of that, but the airport only closed for approximately 24 hours and reopened at 10am today [yesterday]. We’re also at the point where the industry has its lowest occupancies for the year, so any impact will be minimal.”
“We’re a fly fishing lodge until the beginning of October. So that was a nice little windfall. While we regret the level of flooding in Nassau, the country survived. We hope that Abaco fares well. And Florida, one of our big hubs for tourism, was saved as well. So I think we have a lot to be thankful for.”
MATT AUBRY
Flooding and fuses blow post-Imelda re-openings
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business
FLOODING and a blown fuse yesterday forced some Bahamian businesses to halt operations for the day in the wake of Tropical Storm Imelda’s passage.
Following the all-clear provided to New Providence, the Berry Islands, Andros, Exuma, Cat Island, San Salvador and Rum Cay, some companies were unable to re-open as planned due to the storm’s lingering after-effects.
While flooding was not an issue for Taste Dee Food, the takeaway suffered a blown fuse resulting in a partial loss of electricity supply to the building.
Deandre Archer, its proprietor, was advised by Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) to hire an electrician to assess the situation.
“Flooding is an issue when it rains, but as soon as the rain subsides, everything goes north, like
more towards Dowdeswell Street. So it clears up pretty quickly. I went there like around, say, 6am this morning, and there was a little water settled right in the front of the door, but it wasn’t no major flooding,”
Ms Archer said.
“Flooding isn’t an issue with me. Only when it’s raining, the water rises, but as soon as the rain subsides, the water goes away. So I don’t have that issue with flooding coming into the building or anything. It was storm-related, because of the breeze, the wind.
“They had advised me to get an electrician to deal with that, because there’s no power outage in the area. The storm would have caused it, but they don’t change a fuse for you. So they told me to get somebody to look at it, find out what the problem really is, because on their end, everything is clear. I do have electricity. It’s partial, like I go inside, the lights are on, but I’m not getting full power to the building.”
Ms Archer is hoping to resume operations today, adding that it was unsafe for her to do so yesterday. “I’m dealing with that as soon as possible because I need to be up and running,” she said. “Like I said, I did go to work this morning. I was planning on opening, but after I went into the building, and I noticed that I’m not getting enough power, like the fridge was on, the freezer was off, the light would come on partially, certain parts of the front area weren’t on. And the back of the kitchen was on, but it was partly on. So I didn’t think that was safe for me to open up until I got it checked out.”
The Fitness Connection’s Blake Road location remained closed yesterday as the streets leading to the venue experienced flooding. Demeko Nesbitt, its founder, said Monday is great day for revenue and having to close for a day affects the bottom line. He did, however, host an online sale to make up for
PM blames 52% jobless rise on more seeking work
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter
PRIME Minister Philip Davis KC yesterday blamed the recent 52 percent increase in jobless Bahamians to seasonal fluctuations and a growing number of persons actively seeking work.
Addressing the media, he argued that the rise in unemployed individuals over the seven months to January 2025 was influenced in part by the end of grouper season, which forced many fishermen into temporary unemployment.
“I got an understanding of how they arrive at those numbers. And you have to appreciate that there are periods when there are down periods. So, for example, I’m advised that those numbers may have gone up because of the close of the grouper season. Fishermen were not working, and they have added them to the unemployment rate,” said Mr Davis.
He added that the methodology used by the Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI) to calculate unemployment includes individuals who are actively seeking jobs, which has expanded as more Bahamians enter the labour force.
“The second factor that contributed to the number is that we now have more, which is encouraging, we have more persons looking for work,” said Mr Davis.
“In arriving at the unemployment number, if you
are not looking for a work and you’re not working, you’re not factored into those numbers. But if you are looking for a job and you’re not working, you’re factored into the unemployment number.
“So, what we have discovered from the assessment is that there are more persons encouraged to look for a job at the snapshot when that was taken than the same period last year.”
When asked to address comparisons to his past criticism of former prime minister Dr Hubert Minnis, who faced backlash when the unemployment rate increased from 9.9 percent to 10.1 percent, Mr Davis defended his administration’s handling of the economy.
He added that the current increase is not a reflection of poor leadership, and argued that the rise in unemployment reflects increased economic participation rather than economic decline. Mr Davis pointed to international recognition by Moody’s and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as evidence of progress.
“When you look at the number of persons working now, if you look at what Moody’s is saying about us, all that tells about leadership. And if you want to start from where I started in 2021, where we were, and where we are today, even the IMF had to indicate we did an amazing job. And they put it in writing, put it as a remarkable job,” said Mr Davis.
revenue lost with the store’s temporary closure.
“We had planned to open, and a lot of roads leading up to the plaza were OK, but as you approach the plaza, it’s a lot of flooding,” Mr Nesbitt said. “That plaza itself, the parking lot has about, say, three to four inches of water in it, so it’s going to deter people from coming there.
“Even if you can access it to get to open, a lot of people won’t drive down the roads leading to it. And, of course, when they get on to Blake Road by the circle is like a big pool there, where a lot of people just turn around.
“So it doesn’t make sense for us to open even though we were scheduled to. I went there earlier and stayed there for about 45 minutes. I didn’t see anybody come in the parking lot. I think one car went to the back,” Mr Nesbitt said.
“Monday is a busier day for us. A lot of people in the gym, starting the gym, busy day for that. And it’s just a matter of doing a pivot. So
we’re doing an online sale to help still get some revenue. And the persons who can make it to work, we still let them come in if they can, but I don’t want anybody to risk damaging their vehicles.
“So right now, our Seagrapes store is open but at the Blake Road store, we haven’t been able to get anybody who can make it there to stay open, and I’m not sure it makes sense to just have someone there if traffic’s not there.”
Cheryl Cambridge, owner of Cheryl’s Bahamas Taxi & Tours, whose operations continued throughout the storm, noted the importance of businesses having a ‘plan B’. She recalled the COVID-19 pandemic and alternative methods that had to be used during that period. She said she allowed her staff to work from home on Sunday while sending one of her taller vehicles to transport employees to work yesterday.
“My girls took the laptop home. They worked from home yesterday, so my
operation never stopped. They work from home and all their cars underwater, so I sent one of my higher busses to pick up my three girls for the office today,” she said.
“You got to have a plan B, you know, because during COVID, the same thing - we work from home. The business don’t stop. People are still booking. So you have to have mechanisms in place. There’s modern technology. So you got to have it in place that the operation don’t stop.
“My phone still ringing. So I had my office cell phone, which I had that for over 30 years. I take that to the office 8am in the morning and pick it up 6pm in the evening. So I had that at home with me. So the office was literally not really closed. It was closed physically, but still we were mobile and from home, with modern technology, answering e-mail from home, answering the phone from home.”
Cable Bahamas relaunches its share buyback initiative
“They do these work analysis by month, and they compared with the last year. And now let’s look at the next month and see how that looks.”
The Bahamas National Statistical Institute’s latest report showed that the official unemployment rate for The Bahamas rose from 7.2 percent in the 2024 third quarter to 9 percent during that year’s final three months. It rose further to double digits in the 2025 first quarter, hitting 10.8 percent.
Apart from an 8,885 increase in the number of unemployed persons between the 2024 third quarter and January 2025, the BNSI survey revealed that 65,225 persons - representing 30.4 percent of the 214,725 workers currently holding jobs - were deemed to be under-employed, “working part-time while wanting additional hours”.
“The total number of unemployed individuals in January 2025 was 25,925, with females making up 51.3 per cent. Among the unemployed, 6,960 were youth aged 15 to 24 years,
CYCLICAL - See Page B5
CABLE Bahamas will tomorrow relaunch a share buyback initiative which, during the 12 months to end-June 2025, saw it repurchase $945,691 worth of shares from investors.
The BISX-listed communications provider, is relaunching the buyback for nine months to endJune 2026. It acquired 262,417 of its own stock from shareholders during the prior year’s effort.
“While advancing our $100m fibre-to-the-home roll-out and continuing to modernise our network and services across The Bahamas, we are generating the strong cash flows necessary to reward our shareholders,” said Victor Marcial, Cable Bahamas’ chief financial officer.
“This buyback reflects the Board’s and management’s strong belief in the intrinsic value of Cable Bahamas, our confidence in the company’s future, and our commitment to delivering sustainable, long-term returns.”
Cable Bahamas added that the buyback’s resumption reflects the Board’s and management’s confidence in the long-term
growth prospects and financial stability of the company. It also recently re-commenced quarterly dividend payments to ordinary shareholders, which the company said further highlights its commitment to providing a return to its shareholders.
Share buybacks are typically launched by companies who believe their stock price is undervalued given their growth prospects and recent financial performance. In The Bahamas, another factor is the relatively illiquid nature of the BISX market, where there are too few buyers and sellers interacting to produce regular trades.
BISX itself has taken measures to prevent vast, sudden swings in share prices caused by retail investors who are desperate to exit their investments by accepting any price. Share buybacks, such as the initiative renewed by Cable Bahamas, are designed to mop-up small retail investors who are searching for a buyer, thus supporting the stock price and signalling to the market what its true value is.
Cable Bahamas is far from the first BISX-listed company to introduce a share buy back programme. Others include AML Foods, Bank of the Bahamas and Bahamas Waste.
CABLE BAHAMAS HQ
Bahamas needs to ‘hit that standard for attracting FDI’
CHANGES - from page B1
public services and government agencies was being “delayed”.
And it repeated prior criticisms about the “inconsistent” application of anti-corruption reforms to cases involving public officials, while noting the charges facing Adrian Gibson, the Long Island MP, and former Cabinet minister, Lanisha Rolle. Both matters remain before the courts, and each has pleaded not guilty to the claims being made against them.
Still, the US report hinted at disappointment over the fact it will take “one to several years” for the Independent Commission of Investigations to become “fully operational”, while reiterating that the last time the financial disclosures of MP, Senators and senior civil servants were publicly gazzetted and published was 2011. And that was for disclosures made in 2008some 17 years ago.
And the US report said election campaign financing “continues to be largely unregulated, lacking sufficient safeguards against quid pro quo donations and foreign influence” while civic non-profit groups such as ORG “have no legal protections” when investigating corruption.
Ryan Pinder KC, the attorney general, did not respond to Tribune Business messages seeking comment before press time last night. However, Prime Minister Philip Davis KC previously confirmed that his administration has more important priorities, such as fighting the ‘cost of living’ crisis, than ensuring laws such as the Freedom of Information Act are fully implemented and funded.
Mr Aubry, though, yesterday conceded that the US State Department’s latest ‘investment climate statement’ is “very reflective of the current state of where we are at”. He said: “The fact they are noted is part of the challenge we have talked about for a while.
“If we are looking to create an environment that is ‘best in class’ for investment we have to hit that standard and demonstrate The Bahamas is a place where investors want to bring their resources. In that space, it also highlights what we are talking about - the advantages that come from a Freedom of Information Act, Office of the Ombudsman, a fully-developed Public Procurement Act, a Public Disclosures Act that is fully transparent and the Integrity Commission.
“All of those being put together creates a
formidable framework, and a lot of thing that can be pushed, but if it’s only on paper, not a priority or at risk of being back stepped” by a lack of will and support to properly follow-through with full implementation then the anti-corruption reform benefits will not be realised.
Mr Davis on June 4 this year, explaining why the Freedom of Information Act is not a priority for his administration, said: “The Bahamian people were suffering. Some are still suffering. And until that suffering is alleviated, things as esoteric as matters of freedom of information, they can’t take priority in my mind when a little baby can’t find food tomorrow. That is what worries me,” he said.
“Freedom of Information Act, that’s about accountability, right? I’m not ashamed to say I’m an accountable person, right? I have transparency, and all the negativity that arises on what is transparent, what’s accountability, I’m not worried about that because I can account for my actions.”
“I could defend my actions, and they’re all above board. But for me, I am paying more attention, and continue to pay attention, to bringing relief to the Bahamian people, and they can see that in what
‘When will Gov’t maintain the property, assets it has?’
SHOPPING - from page B1
in case something happens and they cannot get out.
“We opened on Sunday. Some of the stores that usually stay open a little later closed earlier this time. Our main thing is to try and assist the public in getting what they need through something like a storm.”
Asked by how much Super Value’s sales increased compared to a typical, non-storm weekend, Ms Symonette replied: “I think by at least 25 percent probably. Sales usually go up by a significant amount around that type of time when all the customers try and get everything that they need.
“The stores were a little mad. We tried to handle it, and the staff did a good job getting customers in and out and getting them what they needed. We had to check the roof on a couple of stores after the storm had passed; there was a little flood in some of the aisles, but nothing major.”
Acknowledging that Imelda has temporarily disrupted supply chains and inventory deliveries, both on sea and land, Ms Symonette said: “We did have some late deliveries even with land supplies. Some of them were not delivering on a normal schedule.
“We made do with what we had, and suggested to customers what could replace what was missing. We should be largely back on schedule by tomorrow [today]. There was definitely a bump in sales. We’re now back to normal. It was difficult for the staff at times to get in after the storm because we had the flooding, but we’re doing our best to get everybody back in place and everything back to normal.”
Daphne DeGregoryMiaoulis, the immediate past Abaco Chamber of Commerce president, yesterday told Tribune Business that - despite heavy rainfall and significant flooding in Marsh Harbour - there were no reports of major damage to buildings even
though Imelda passed over the island with higher maximum sustained wind gusts of 50 miles per hour.
This compared to the 40 miles per hour sustained by New Providence the previous night, and she said: “We had tons of rain earlier [this morning] Marsh Harbour is completely flooded. There’s been no reports of any major damage. There are no issues to be concerned about per se other than the flooding.
“That’s to be expected because we still haven’t cleared the drains properly so what do you expect? They need to clean the drains; not just open them up but blow them out. I keep saying this every opportunity that I have, but nobody seems to be doing anything about it.
“This government keeps on talking about the infrastructure they are putting in, building this and that, but what about maintaining the things they have got?”
Mrs DeGregory-Miaoulis asked. “This hurricane shelter in Abaco is still not
we have done so far, and we still have more to do. That’s my focus.”
However, Mr Aubry yesterday argued that such an approach could squander “a lot of potential” - including attracting more job-creating foreign and Bahamian investment - if it neglects strengthening its anti-corruption and governance regime.
“With that potential framework that we have, a lot of significant opportunities can come forward, foreign direct investment (FDI) being one of them, but also renewed confidence in the local economy,” he said. “A lot of people would believe that, if they come up with this product or develop their business in the best possible way, they can grow from a small business to a mid-sized business.”
The ORG chief argued that the failure to enhance transparency and accountability could undermine The Bahamas’ prospects of attracting investment that stays for the long-term and promotes “inclusive local development” as well as economic diversification.
“We want folks to come here and stay,” Mr Aubry told Tribune Business. “The world is looking for equity. Our approach to transparency or approach to accountability, for jurisdictions to be considered best in class, investors want to know they are built. These pieces of legislation could bring forward greater opportunities right when we need it.
completed. They started building it four years ago and it is still not completed. It is beyond the point of ridiculous.
“They want to be commended for all these things they say they are doing. We have a track record of successive governments not maintaining our property, our assets. They’re not maintaining the properties they have but are boasting about what other properties they are going to build.”
Mrs DeGregory-Miaoulis cited, in particular, a Marsh Harbour park where persons come to purchase food from vendors as having flood water up to the height of picnic tables. “That’s got to be at least three-four feet deep in the heart of town,” she added, “and I’m sure that businesses that have rebuilt from Dorian have been flooded as well because they didn’t build their foundations to the level to stop water getting in.
“I think, though, we’ve been lucky with this. I think businesses have been closed much the same as in Nassau, and tomorrow will be a catch-up, with cleanup and sorting out, and we will be back to what we call normal by Wednesday. We sat in the elbow of the
“We have to set the stage. We’re competing with a lot of other jurisdictions so we have to be reflective of what we provide. We are working against perception. The Bahamas has kind of a murky past where this level of disclosure was not expected. Now we are working on this, and have put forward these initiatives, we have to see them through...
“All these things brought forward to reflect best in class in the region will make us more attractive and create less obstacles to investing. When looking at transparency, it’s critical that initiatives don’t sit as theory but start to deliver real and tangible results.
Mr Aubry, citing the Government’s electronic public procurement portal as an example, said it still lacks a mechanism for reporting or raising concerns over whether all contracts and bids have been published, and details of all offers disclosed.
“We’re coming into an election year,” the ORG chief added. “When you put these things later in the legislative agenda, the likelihood is a lot of things will happen to prevent them coming forward.” He added that Bahamians must push the Government to fully implement anti-corruption reforms.
ORG previously criticised the Government for failing to invest in transparency and provide adequate funding for key areas such as the Freedom of Information Act, the Office of the
storm, and we got the least of the brunt of it.”
Roscoe Thompson, central district of Abaco councillor and chairman of the Marsh Harbour/Spring City Township, told this newspaper that flooding from Imelda had started to dry up and clear when he drove around the area yesterday afternoon.
“Everything went well,” he said. “We had some flooding with the high tide; the main strip in Marsh Harbour, some areas of Dundas Town, but Marsh Harbour - once the tide went down - it cleared. There was some bad flooding by the Government complex because it’s a low-lying area. Considering everything, we’re very lucky. It could have been a lot worse than what it was.
“Most of the issue was the flooding. Once the tide receded, most of the water went out of Marsh Harbour. I drove around a couple of hours ago and most of the flooding had receded in Marsh Harbour, which was great. It’s good to see. There was no structural damage to businesses or homes, or trees down or anything like that. It was more the rain and the flooding.
Ombudsman and newlyestablished Independent Commission of Investigations. It added that the $140,000 allocated to the Freedom of Information Act is far below the $1m estimated as needed for execution. The Office of the Ombudsman has been budgeted $39,890 for the upcoming fiscal year, the Independent Commission of Investigations has been allocated $30,000 and the Public Disclosure Commission was allocated $80,000.
However, Mr Pinder subsequently told the Senate that staffing for the Independent Commission of Investigations and the Office of the Ombudsman will come from an $11m global fund provision in the Ministry of Finance’s budget.
“It should be noted that the facilities for each of the institutions are already secured,” he said. “The payment for those facilities are found in the public services line item. The public service is responsible for paying for all accommodations of the Government.”
Mr Pinder stressed that there are adequate provisions in the Budget for both the Independent Investigations Commission and the Ombudsman Office.
“As new institutions, those allocations are found in other line items throughout different ministries,” he said. The Ministry of Finance’s “provision” is for “new appointments” and “monthly employees”.
“I think a lot of Bahamians were anxious, especially here. A lot of Abaconians were anxious to see what happened. I was glad it ended up as a a tropical storm rather than a category one or two hurricane, otherwise The Bahamas would have taken a hit from north to south.”
Mr Thompson said Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) had shut off electricity supply at 10am yesterday morning, but it was subsequently restored apart from in areas where lines were down “here and there”.
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Nassau Cruise Port receives 10k visitors
Many Family Island resorts also shutdown during what is traditionally the slowest part of the tourism season, not re-opening until end-October or early November. “I’m not aware, based on what we have so far, that there’s been any impact in terms of damage to properties elsewhere. We’ve fared fairly well,” Mr Sands said.
“Many surrounding areas have significant flooding so that impacts access and getting to work. We also see a delay in shipping to The Bahamas, having been closed for 24 hours and getting back to normal tomorrow [today].
“My general observation so far, and from what I’ve been able to glean so far, is there’s been a very minimal negative impact. I think we’ve been fortunate so far.”
Emanuel Alexiou, president of the Bahama Out Islands Promotion Board and proprietor of the Abaco Beach Resort, told Tribune Business: “I was a little worried because it [the storm] was slow moving through Nassau and the barometric
pressure was dropping when it got past Nassau. “The evening and night were fine. At 9.30am to 10am we got the worst wind and rain, when the centre was not quite on us. The weather gradually got better and better, and the sun peaked through. The wind was coming from the west. I can also see white caps. It’s more a flooding exercise than anything else. I don’t think there’s a lot of damage.”
Given that The Bahamas is in the slowest point of its tourism season, Mr Alexiou said the number of guests trapped by the storm was offset by those who could not arrive in this nation as scheduled. Nassau Cruise Port, meanwhile, said it had only lost one cruise ship call to Imelda.
It confirmed that the Margaritaville at Sea rescheduled to arrive on Saturday ahead of the storm, and the downtown Nassau facility is now expecting a total of 21 ships to visit between Monday and Friday this week. It yesterday received Carnival Freedom, Disney Magic and MSC Seascape bringing a collective 9,948 visitors to the capital.
Operations at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) also resumed. The Nassau Airport Development (NAD), the airport’s operator, said LPIA sustained “minimal to no damage” as a result of the storm and the airport was cleared for operation after comprehensive safety inspections.
“Safety assessments at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) have been completed following the passage of Tropical Storm Imelda. All airport infrastructure, including runways, taxiways, terminal facilities and critical systems, has been cleared for use. The airport sustained minimal to no damage during the storm and flights are expected to resume at 10am today,” said NAD.
“All airport stakeholders, including Air Traffic Services, Bahamas Customs, Bahamas Immigration, the Airport Authority, US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) and airline partners, are prepared to restart operations.”
Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) said electricity was restored to the majority of customers across the north-west and central Bahamas within 24 hours of the storm’s impact.
Anthony Christie, its chief operating officer, said the utility’s newly-launched digital reporting system played
a key role in accelerating restoration efforts
“Hundreds of Bahamians utilised the newly-launched BPL service hub, submitting location-tagged reports and photos of outages and damaged infrastructure. This real time information allowed BPL to deploy teams more efficiently, reduce response times and accelerate restoration across affected communities,” he said.
BPL confirmed full power restoration to Bimini, Great Harbour Cay and Bullocks Harbour, Cat Island and Long Island. In Abaco, 50 percent of affected customers were restored, with assessments ongoing for the remaining areas. In Eleuthera, supply was restored from Hatchet Bay to Bannerman Town, with smaller pockets in Tarpum Bay, Governor’s Harbour and Rock Sound still being addressed. In North
PM defends Gov’t economic outturn
CYCLICAL - from page B3
almost evenly distributed by sex,” the Institute’s survey said.
“The unemployment rate for January 2025 was 10.8 per cent. The female unemployment rate was higher at 11.2 per cent, while the unemployment rate for males, 10.4 per cent. The youth unemployment rate was 20.9 per cent, with the unemployment rate for young adult females at 21.7 per cent and for young adult males it was 20.3 per cent.
“Nationally, women aged 20 to 44 and 45 to 54 were more likely to be unemployed than their
male counterparts. By contrast, men aged 25-44 were slightly more likely to be unemployed when compared with women within their same age cohort.”
Eleuthera, BPL crews were actively working on the Gregory Town feeder, which has experienced intermittent trips. Multiple outages were also reported in New Providence, including Adelaide, Coral Harbour, Nassau Village, Wulff Road and Paradise Island. BPL said nearly all communities have now been re-energised, with remaining isolated cases under active resolution.
“There were 25,520 young people (aged 15 to 24 years) outside the labour force, accounting for 23.9 per cent of this group. Among these young adults, 11,870 were males and 13,650 were females,” the Institute’s survey found.
“The total labour force in January was 240,650 individuals: 121,565 males (50.5 percent) and 119, 085 females (49.5 percent). The overall labour force participation rate was 76 percent. Males had a higher participation rate of 80.4 per cent compared to 72 per cent for females.”
Some 106,480 persons were found to be “outside the labour force”, likely meaning persons who were between jobs in January 2025, stay-at-home parents and others. Of this number, some 3,720 or 3.5 percent were identified as “discouraged workers”, meaning they are part of the potential labour force but not actively looking for a job. That 3,720 said they had given up because they were “tired of looking for jobs” or there were “no jobs in the area’. Others said they either lacked experience or there were no available job openings to match their skills, while some alleged they were viewed as too young or old by employers.
Mangrove Cay flight gives repeat hopes
BOOKING - from page B1
Swain’s Cay Lodge, which has 12 operational rooms and is undergoing renovations to take the total to 15 rooms, saw eight booked rooms during Imelda. Ms Bastian said that what is normally a slow period became an increase in room occupancy, and an opportunity to convince guests to return not only to Andros but also to Swain’s Cay Lodge, especially in time for the October opening of fly fishing season.
“And they were really good, tipping the staff,” Ms Bastian said. “I mean, while it only affected a few, it’s bright. As a fishing lodge, I’m pretty proactive, using my initiative to go out there and say: ‘There’s a sale on. Come and fill October. Come and do this and that.’
“That’s what we all have to do. You just can’t sit down and look at doom and gloom. Yeah, numbers are down overall, even with our big players. For us, we’re going to stay determined
‘Unclear’ if BIA reform remains Gov’t priority
CONVERSION - from page B1
to respond to investment applications.
“In recent years, the Government announced plans to launch Bahamas Invest, an independent agency intended to fast-track foreign direct investment (FDI), streamline approvals and increase transparency. However, there has been no visible progress on this initiative, and it remains unclear whether it remains a government priority. Currently, the BIA continues its oversight of all FDI-related activities.”
Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, has frequently touted the Government’s intentions to transform the BIA into Bahamas Invest during annual and mid-year Budget presentations. However, there has been less talk about this proposal in recent years. The Government had been eager to revamp the BIA along the lines of its Jamaican counterpart, JAMPRO, converting it into a proactive agency that goes out and targets the investors and industries desired by
The Bahamas for economic growth and job creation as opposed to simply letting all manner of projects come to.
Elsewhere, the US ‘investment climate statement’ identified many of the supposed deficiencies in The Bahamas’ anti-corruption and governance regimes that have been cited in previous versions of this annual report. This is despite The Bahamas being ranked equally with the US in Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perception Index, meaning the latter may be in no position to preach to this nation. “To improve the investment environment, the Government has introduced reforms, such as the Public Procurement Act and e-procurement platform. However, a lack of transparent investment procedures and legislation continues to create challenges for investors,” the US State Department added.
“Despite government efforts to improve transparency and efficiency, investors face challenges such as a lack of clearly-defined investment procedures, delays in resolving legal disputes and incomplete
NOTICE
FSR FERROVIA INVESTIMENTOS LTD.
Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Registration number 202217 B (In Voluntary Liquidation)
Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 26th day of September A.D. 2025.
Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The Liquidator is Mr. Ary Cera Zanetta Neto, whose address is R Gomes de Carvalho, 1507 1st Floor, Vila Olimpia, CEP: 04547-005, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. Any Persons having a Claim against the above-named Company are required on or before the 27th day of October A.D. 2025 to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such claim is proved.
Dated this 26th day of September A.D. 2025.
ARY CERA ZANETTA NETO LIQUIDATOR
to win it by marketing and sending out e-mail blasts and contacting our customers.
“Most of them were Bahamians, right, but we are a Bahama Out Island Promotion Board property... What we’ve been trying to do to fill some of the hotels on the outer islands is to offer you fly round-trip to any of the islands where we have properties, and you stay for two or more nights, you get a free round-trip ticket,” Ms Bastian added.
“If you stay at one of our hotels, you practically get a free ticket, so you don’t worry about the airline. And so, while you would go to your auntie or your uncle for a funeral or a wedding, why
implementation of anticorruption reforms.... The Bahamas ranked 28th out of 180 countries – tied with the US – in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index in 2024.
“However, the country’s ranking has fallen nine points since 2011, indicating growing concerns over governance and anti-corruption enforcement. While the Government has proposed amendments to good governance laws, several key reforms remain stalled,” the US report added.
“The 2017 Freedom of Information Act is not fully implemented, legislation to establish an Integrity Commission and support campaign finance reform is also delayed. The Office of the Information Commissioner, despite the appointment of a commissioner in mid-2021, still lacks full technical and administrative staff....
“In January 2024, the Ombudsman Bill, 2023 passed in the House of Assembly and it later passed in the Senate in February 2024. The Bill establishes the Office of Ombudsman to investigate the administrative actions of any public authority and determine whether there is evidence of maladministration.
“The Ombudsman is responsible for making
crowd the house? Spend a couple of dollars on a lodge, you get a free ticket, and you can do a getaway. And what a quality way to spend vacation with our children who don’t know our islands and our country.
“So, I got this group excited. They were so pleased that a Bahamian was running a lodge at the quality that they experienced,” she added. “They just weren’t expecting that and then to be able to hear about how they can come back, which they want to do, to stay and get a free ticket and also enjoy the beautiful life of visiting our island. The people here are really switched on and friendly,
recommendations to improve administrative practices and procedures of the authorities under review. However, more than a year later, it remains unclear why implementation of the Bill is delayed.”
While the US report gave The Bahamas credit for the House of Assembly’s passage of the Independent Commission of Investigations Bill earlier this year, creating a body to probe misconduct and crimes by public officials, it appeared to lament the fact this will take several years to become fully operational.
“While anti-corruption laws exist in The Bahamas, enforcement against public officials has been inconsistent, and full implementation of key accountability measures has faced delays. In February 2025, the House of Assembly passed the Independent Commission of Investigations Bill, establishing a permanent and autonomous oversight body with unprecedented authority,” the report said.
“The Commission will have the power to investigate complaints of misconduct and alleged crimes involving state officials and public officers. The Commission’s authority extends to a wide range of public officials and entities, including MPs, senior officers, government
GREEN LEAF GROUP LTD.
LIQUIDATOR’S NOTICE
Pursuant to Section 138(6) of the International Business Companies Act
NOTICE is hereby given that GREEN LEAF GROUP LTD., a company registered under the International Business Companies Act, has been dissolved and struck of the Register as of the 11th day of August, 2025.
Sterling (Bahamas) Limited Liquidator
and they felt the charm. And so that’s what we need to spread.”
“If your shop isn’t open, nobody’s coming in it. And sometimes it’s just me and maybe my cook. I’ll check them in, and I reduce staff with it. But people are going to hear that you’re open, and they inquire, then more and more people are going to come and they’re going to continue,” Ms Bastian said.
“Traditionally, people are concerned about the hurricanes this time of the year. And that has been a barrier to persons booking. But I tell them if a hurricane or storm is coming, there’s no cancellation fee. Airlines usually work with you, no
corporation leaders, magistrates, local administrator, and others designated by the governor general.
“It will also oversee key enforcement agencies such as the police, Defence Force, Customs, corrections, and Immigration departments. Comprised of three commissioners, supported by investigators and a full operational team, the Commission marks a significant step toward improving governance and accountability. However, it is expected to take one to several years before the Commission becomes fully operational.”
Pushing for further Bahamian reforms, the US State Department said: “There continues to be a pressing need for stronger enforcement mechanisms to prevent conflicts of interest, especially in the awarding of government contracts, which are often alleged to favour political supporters.
“There have been isolated reports of officials accepting small-scale ‘bribes of convenience’ and extending preferential treatment to wealthy or politically connected individuals.”
Pointing to other alleged flaws, it added: “The Public Disclosure Act mandates that senators, MPs and senior public officials file annual declarations of assets, income and liabilities to the Public Disclosure Commission.
“However, compliance has been sporadic, and the Commission has failed to publish these disclosures as required by law. The most recent gazetted report dates
cancellation fee. You just rebook.
“Because typically we have years where there might be a weekend one is passing through, but for most of the summer... You come over and you have a great time. You know, fly fishing, the flats fish, they don’t like the hot water of the flats. But to work around that, we go out a bit earlier in the morning. You come back here, and then you even reduce the price, which causes people to take an extra trip. So, you have to be innovative and we have to start working this tourism thing a bit better.”
back to December 2011, covering declarations only up to 2008. Efforts are reportedly underway to modernise the filing and publication system.”
Other issues were cited with the Public Procurement Act and political campaign finance reforms. “In 2023, the Government repealed and replaced the Public Procurement Act of 2021, citing unintended policy consequences.
“The new Public Procurement Act of 2023 aims to overhaul the administration of government contracts, and improve transparency and accountability in procurement processes. Nonetheless, stakeholders continue to express concerns over gaps in the enforcement of procurement rules and the risk of favoritism in contract awards.
“Additional reforms have progressed incrementally... Legislation to establish an Integrity Commission and implement campaign finance reform remains pending. Campaign financing in The Bahamas continues to be largely unregulated, lacking sufficient safeguards against quid pro quo donations and foreign influence. NGOs investigating corruption have no specific legal protections, further inhibiting civic oversight,” the US State Department added.
“US firms have identified corruption as an obstacle to FDI and have reported perceived corruption in government procurement and in the FDI approvals process.”
WALL STREET TICKS HIGHER AS TECHNOLOGY STOCKS LEAD THE WAY
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer
WALL Street ticked higher on Monday as technology stocks recovered some of their losses from late last week.
The S&P 500 added 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 68 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5%. All three are near their all-time highs set a week ago.
Big Tech stocks ticked higher to lead the way. Amazon added 1.1% following its 5.1% drop last week, and Microsoft rose 0.6% to recover some of its 1.2% decline. While their moves were modest, they were still two of the strongest forces lifting the S&P 500 Monday because they're two of Wall Street's most valuable stocks.
On the losing end of the market were companies in the oil business, which were hurt by slumping crude prices. Drops of 2.6% for Exxon Mobil and 2.5% for Chevron were two of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500.
This week's highlight is scheduled to arrive on Friday, when a report will be due about how many jobs U.S. employers created and destroyed last
month. The hope is that it will be balanced enough to keep the Federal Reserve on track to continue cutting interest rates.
The Fed just delivered its first cut of the year, and officials have penciled in more through the end of next year. That's critical for investors because U.S. stocks have shot to records from a low in April in large part because of expectations for several cuts from the Fed. Easier rates can give the job market a boost and make investors more willing to pay high prices for stocks and other investments.
If Friday's job numbers prove too strong, they could make the Fed less willing to cut rates. That could hurt stocks, which already face criticism that they've become too expensive following their big rally. If the job numbers are too weak, they could mean a recession that would hurt stock prices on its own.
One wild card may pop up in the interim: The U.S. government is nearing a deadline that could result in its shutdown.
The United States has already had many such shutdowns in the past, which have caused only minimal waves for the U.S. stock market and for
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that PHARA ROLLE Marsh Harbour, Abaco, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 30th day of September 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that MARIANA ZULETA of Charlotteville Gated Community, Nassau, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of September, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that ELEISHA VERNETTE ELIAZARD of Palm Tree Avenue, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of September, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that MADLYNE FILS-AIME of P. O. Box SS-6582, Fowler Street, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twentyeight days from the 23rd day of September, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
the economy. But another shutdown could delay the collection and release of economic data, such as on jobs and inflation. Without those reports, increasing uncertainty on Wall Street could make markets more twitchy.
This shutdown may also be different because the White House may push for
large-scale firings of federal workers this time around.
"We believe that a shutdown will have only a small and transitory economic impact, but it may spur some financial market volatility," according to Jennifer Timmerman, investment strategy analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that CELIFAITE JOSAMA Faith Avenue, Nassau, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 30th day of September 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that NICHEL LLEWELLYN LONCKE of Marsh Harbour, Abaco, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of September, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that DWIGHT ALEXANDER WILLIAMSON HINOJOSA of Yamacraw Hill, Nassau, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of September, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that JEAN RONEL CIRA of P.O. Box SS-6582, #15 Six Street, Coconut Grove, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of September, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that JOSE DANIEL ZULETA MARTINEZ of Charlotteville Gated Community, Nassau, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of September, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
On Wall Street, Electronic Arts climbed 4.5% after the video game maker confirmed rumors of a $55 billion buyout. A group of investors will pay $210 in cash for each share of EA, and they are calling it history's largest all-cash deal to take a business private.
CSX chugged 5.4% higher after the railroad
operator named Steve Angel as its chief executive. Angel was previously CEO of Linde and its predecessor Praxair, and he is replacing Joe Hinrichs, who also left CSX's board.
Stocks in the marijuanarelated business soared after President Donald Trump posted a video to his social media network calling hemp-derived CBD a "game changer" in improving the quality of life for seniors. Tilray Brands jumped 60.9%, and Canada's Canopy Growth rose 17% in Toronto. All told, the S&P 500 rose 17.51 points to 6,661.21. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 68.78 to 46,316.07, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 107.09 to 22,591.15. In stock markets abroad, indexes mostly rose in Europe and Asia.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that SADRAQUE VICTOR Golden Gates #2, Nassau, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 30th day of September 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that JULIE ESPERANCE of #69 Augusta Street, Nassau, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of September, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that JANNETH CRISTINA GOMEZ GIRALDO of Charlotteville Gated Community, Nassau, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of September, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that ERICK-JEAN JOSEPH of Granger Street, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of September, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
Road, Nassau, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of September, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
Congressional leaders leave White House meeting without deal to avoid government shutdown
By STEPHEN GROVES and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press
A GOVERNMENT
shutdown fast approaching, Democratic and Republican congressional leaders left a White House meeting with President Donald Trump Monday afternoon showing no sign of compromising from their entrenched positions in order to avoid a lapse in funding.
If government funding legislation isn't passed by Congress and signed by Trump on Tuesday night, many government offices across the nation will be temporarily shuttered and nonexempt federal employees will be furloughed, adding to the strain on workers and the nation's economy.
But lawmakers were locked in an impasse Monday. Democrats are using one of their few points of leverage to demand legislation to extend health care benefits. But Republicans are refusing to compromise and daring Democrats to vote against legislation that would keep government funding mostly at current levels.
"There are still large differences between us," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said as he left the White House.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters after the meeting, "I think we're headed into a shutdown
because the Democrats won't do the right thing."
Negotiating with Trump Trump has shown little interest in entertaining Democrats' demands on health care, even as he agreed to hold a sit-down meeting Monday with Schumer, along with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.
It was Trump's first meeting with the "big four" leaders in Congress since retaking the White House for his second term, yet the Republican president said repeatedly heading into the meeting that he fully expects the government to enter a shutdown this week.
As he headed into the meeting, Trump made it clear he had no intention to negotiate on Democrats' current terms.
"They're going to have to do some things because their ideas are not very good ones," he said.
Still, Schumer said after the meeting that they had "had candid, frank discussions" with Trump about health care and suggested that the president was more open to their proposals than the Republican leaders who were also in the meeting. Vance also said that Trump found several points of agreement on policy ideas. Schumer said the president "was really listening to us," adding, "It's in his hands."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs landmark bill creating AI safety measures
By TRÂN NGUYỄN Associated Press
CALIFORNIA Gov.
Gavin Newsom on Monday
signed a law that aims to prevent people from using powerful artificial intelligence models for potentially catastrophic activities like building a bioweapon or shutting down a bank system. The move comes as Newsom touted California as a leader in AI regulation and criticized the inaction at the federal level in a recent conversation with former President Bill Clinton. The
new law will establish some of the first-in-the-nation regulations on large-scale AI models without hurting the state's homegrown industry, Newsom said. Many of the world's top AI companies are located in California and will have to follow the requirements.
Democrats' health care demands
Democrats are pushing for an extension to Affordable Care Act tax credits that have subsidized health insurance for millions of people since the COVID-19 pandemic. The credits, which are designed to expand coverage for lowand middle-income people, are set to expire at the end of the year.
"Democrats are fighting to protect the health care of the American people," said Jeffries, a New York Democrat. "We are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of everyday Americans."
Some Republicans are open to extending the tax
"California has proven that we can establish regulations to protect our communities while also ensuring that the growing AI industry continues to thrive. This legislation strikes that balance," Newsom said in a statement.
The legislation requires AI companies to implement and disclose publicly safety protocols to prevent their most advanced models from being used
HOUSE Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks with reporters before he and the top congressional leaders go to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump on the looming government funding crisis, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025.
credits but want changes.
But Thune, a South Dakota Republican, has pressed Democrats to vote for the funding bill and take up the debate on tax credits later.
"We're willing to sit down and work with them on some of the issues they want to talk about," he told reporters at the White House, adding, "But as of right now, this is a hijacking of the American people, and it's the American people who are going to pay the price."
How will Democrats vote?
To hold on to their negotiating leverage, Senate Democrats will likely have to vote against a bill to temporarily extend government funding on Tuesday, just hours before a shutdown — an uncomfortable position for a party that has long denounced shutdowns as pointless and destructive.
The bill has already passed the Republicancontrolled House and would keep the government funded for seven more weeks while Congress works on annual spending legislation.
Any legislation to fund the government will need support from at least 60 senators in the 100-member Senate. That means that at least eight Democrats would have to vote for the
to cause major harm. The rules are designed to cover AI systems if they meet a "frontier" threshold that signals they run on a huge amount of computing power. Such thresholds are based on how many calculations the computers are performing. Those who crafted the regulations have acknowledged the numerical thresholds are an imperfect starting point to distinguish today's highest-performing generative AI systems from the next generation that could be even more powerful. The existing systems are largely made by California-based companies like Anthropic, Google, Meta Platforms and OpenAI.
The legislation defines a catastrophic risk as something that would cause at least $1 billion in damage or more than 50 injuries or deaths. It's designed to guard against AI being used for activities that could cause mass disruption, such as hacking into a power grid.
Companies also have to report to the state any critical safety incidents within 15 days. The law creates whistleblower protections for AI workers and establishes a public cloud for researchers. It includes a fine of $1 million per violation.
It drew opposition from some tech companies, which argued that AI legislation should be done at the federal level. But Anthropic said the regulations are "practical safeguards" that make official the safety practices many companies are already doing voluntarily.
"While federal standards remain essential to avoid a patchwork of state regulations, California has created a strong framework that balances public safety with continued innovation," Jack Clark, co-founder and head of policy at Anthropic, said in a statement.
The signing comes after Newsom last year vetoed a broader version of the legislation, siding with
/AP
short-term funding bill, because Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is expected to vote against it. During the last potential government shutdown in March, Schumer and nine other Democrats voted to break a filibuster and allow a Republican-led funding bill to advance to a final vote. The New York Democrat faced fierce backlash from many in his own party for that decision, with some even calling for him to step down as Democratic leader. Senate Democrats have begun to discuss some possible next steps if the government does shut down — potentially a proposal for a one- or two-week stopgap if Republicans will work with them on a health care fix, according to several people familiar with the private talks who requested anonymity to discuss them. But there is no consensus in the caucus about how to proceed, or guarantees that Republicans and Trump would negotiate.
Shutdown preparations begin Federal agencies were sending out contingency plans if funding lapses at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. They included details on what offices would stay open and which employees would be furloughed.
tech companies that said the requirements were too rigid and would have hampered innovation. Newsom instead asked a group of several industry experts, including AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li, to develop recommendations on guardrails around powerful AI models.
The new law incorporates recommendations and feedback from Newsom's group of AI experts and the industry, supporters said. The legislation also doesn't put the same level of reporting requirements on startups to avoid hurting innovation, said state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, the bill's author.
"With this law, California is stepping up, once again, as a global leader on both technology innovation and safety," Wiener said in a statement.
Newsom's decision comes as President Donald Trump in July announced a plan to eliminate what his administration sees as "onerous" regulations to speed up AI innovation and cement the U.S.' position as the global AI leader. Republicans in Congress earlier this year unsuccessfully tried to ban states and localities from regulating AI for a decade. Without stronger federal regulations, states across the country have spent the last few years trying to rein in the technology, tackling everything from deepfakes in elections to AI "therapy." In California, the Legislature this year passed a number of bills to address safety concerns around AI chatbots for children and the use of AI in the workplace. California has also been an early adopter of AI technologies. The state has deployed generative AI tools to spot wildfires and address highway congestion and road safety, among other things.
Photo:J. Scott Applewhite
GOVERNOR of California Gavin Newsom, right, speaks next to former U.S. President Bill Clinton, left, during the Clinton Global Initiative on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in New York. Photo:Andres Kudacki/AP
