STRUCTURED ROAD MAP VITAL TO BAHAMIAN SMALL BUSINESSES
IN The Bahamas’ dynamic small business landscape, where competition is strong and operational costs can be high, effective project management is essential for long-term success. Whether launching a new product, expanding services or improving operations, Bahamian entrepreneurs can greatly benefit from a structured approach that keeps projects on track and teams aligned. By focusing on clear goals, deliberate planning, strong communication and continuous improvement, small businesses can navigate challenges with confidence. A successful project begins with thoughtful planning and strategy. One of the most important steps is defining clear, SMART objectives - goals that are specific, measurable,
achievable, relevant and time-bound. For many Bahamian businesses, this ensures that efforts directly support broader business priorities, whether those involve reaching new markets, strengthening
AIRLINE LAUNCHING NEW EXUMA ROUTE SUNDAY
tourism-related operations or expanding into digital services. Once these goals are established, they must be clearly communicated to every team member involved.
A detailed project plan follows. This plan outlines the project’s scope, budget, deadlines and available resources. It serves as a road map, helping business owners assign responsibilities and prevent misunderstandings later. Before work officially begins, holding a project kick-off meeting can help ensure that everyone understands the project’s purpose, timeline and expectations. These early steps lay the foundation for smooth execution.
During the management and execution stage, consistent monitoring becomes crucial. Small businesses
INSURER’S SHAREHOLDERS ENJOY 12% PROFITS JUMP FERGUSON IAN
AZTEC Airways yesterday revealed it will launch its Exuma service this Sunday from its private terminal at Fort Lauderdale International Airport.
The carrier, in a statement, said the November 16 launch of its latest route comes as it continues to deepen its connections across the Family Islands.
It added that, over the past several months, Aztec Airways staff have been working to build partnerships with Exuma’s main resorts, expanding local employment opportunities, and engaging directly with travellers to better understand their needs.
“Great Exuma is truly one of the crown jewels of The Bahamas,” said Stuart Hanley, founder and chief executive of Aztec Airways. “We are thrilled to begin service there and to continue doing what we do best - providing reliable, easy travel to the Out Islands.”
Aztec Airways said its latest route is launching just as travellers seek more dependable and personal service. The new Exuma route will operate every Thursday and Sunday.
A BISX-listed insurer yesterday revealed that profits attributable to shareholders for the first nine months of 2025 had increased by 12 percent year-over-year to $39.1m Colina Holdings (Bahamas), unveiling its results for the 2025 third quarter and nine months to end-September, said net and comprehensive income earned by ordinary shareholders had jumped to $1.58 per share as opposed to $1.41 per share, or $34.9m, for the same period in 2024.
“This growth reflects strong performance across Colina Holdings (Bahamas) life, health and general insurance subsidiaries, including contributions from Saxon Holdings following its acquisition,” said Emanuel M. Alexiou, the BISX-listed insurer’s chairman.
The BISX-listed parent for Colina Insurance Company reported an $8.9m improvement in its insurance service result, which totalled $19.3m for the
must track progress regularly, watching for delays, budget shifts or unexpected obstacles, which are common occurrences in The Bahamas where shipping lead times, weather conditions and tourism cycles may affect operations. Being prepared to adapt quickly, supported by contingency plans, allows businesses to stay on schedule even when circumstances change. Clear and open communication is equally important. Regular checkins, stakeholder updates and team meetings help maintain alignment and prevent issues from escalating. Establishing communication ground rules ensures discussions remain productive. Delegating tasks effectively further strengthens project execution, allowing team members to apply their strengths
nine months ended September 30, 2025, compared to $10.3m for the same period in 2024.
Net investment income totalled $48.2m for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, compared to $45.5m for the same period in the prior year. Colina Holdings (Bahamas) said there were continued increases in both interest received and mark-to-market adjustments.
“These fair value movements, while non-cash, are a required reflection of current market dynamics under applicable accounting standards,” said Mr Alexiou. “We expect net investment income as a result of these mark-to-market adjustments to be subject to continued volatility”.
As at September 30, Colina Holdings (Bahamas) total assets stood at $969.1m, up from $886.7m at December 31, 2024, with invested assets comprising 71.3 percent of the total. This
while promoting trust and accountability. Managing resources carefully, and avoiding over-allocation or shortages, keeps workflow smooth and reduces operational stress.
A strong team is at the heart of every successful project. Motivating and empowering employees encourages ownership, while recognising contributions boosts morale. Bahamian businesses can also benefit from fostering a culture of innovation, inviting team members to share ideas that may lead to more efficient processes or better customer experiences.
Finally, continuous improvement transforms everyday projects into long-term success stories. By reflecting on past experiences - celebrating what worked and analysing
what did not - small business owners can refine their strategies and make future projects even more effective. With clear goals, strategic planning, strong teamwork and continual learning, small businesses throughout The Bahamas can manage projects more effectively and build resilient operations ready for growth.
• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organisations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@ coralwave.com.
compared to 73.6 percent as at December 31, 2024.
Shareholders’ equity was $302.9m as at September 30, 2025, net of $1.8m in dividend distributions to the Class ‘A’ preference shareholders and dividends paid to Class ‘A’ ordinary shareholders of $4.4m or $0.18 per share.
“The third quarter continued to build on the momentum we established throughout the year, reinforcing Colina Holdings (Bahamas) focus on strengthening its balance sheet, enhancing capital resilience and creating
long-term value for stakeholders,” said Mr Alexiou. “Our integration of the Saxon companies is progressing well and continues to present meaningful opportunities for growth and collaboration…. “I want to thank our shareholders for their continued confidence and support. My sincere appreciation is also extended to our dedicated employees for their hard work and commitment throughout the year, as we remain steadfast in advancing our mission to promote the financial security and well-being of our customers.”
THE Ministry of Health and Wellness has held a workshop to strengthen quality and safety in Bahamian healthcare delivery.
The Quality and Safety programme (NQSPm) initiative brought together stakeholders from both the public and private healthcare sectors, including Family Island facilities, to ensure the programme is aligned with national health priorities and feasible to implement across The Bahamas.The workshop, which was held on Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at the National Training Agency on Gladstone and Munnings roads, is a strategic initiative designed to operationalise the National Quality and Safety Plan and enhance healthcare standards in both clinical and non-clinical areas.The Ministry of Health and Wellness said the programme integrates evidence-based practices, continuous improvement methodologies and robust monitoring systems to deliver safe, timely, effective and accountable care for all Bahamians.It added that the workshop aimed to refine and affirm the NQSPm’s structure, priorities and strategic direction by validating the programme’s design, priorities and implementation framework; building awareness, alignment and commitment among stakeholders;
ensuring synergy with the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ eight strategic pillars to support health system transformation; and strengthening shared accountability and readiness for programme execution.
The ministry said the key objectives included presenting and validating the programme’s vision and mission, engaging stakeholders across all sectors, confirming governance structures, validating the National Quality and Safety indicator matrix, and building consensus on practical implementation strategies.The workshop also focused on strengthening leadership and workforce capacity, as well as ensuring the monitoring, evaluation and learning framework is robust for
tracking progress and outcomes.Dr Ismae Whyms, chair of the National Quality and Safety Committee, who also serves as deputy director for quality and patient safety at the Public Hospitals Authority, said: "The validation workshop is a critical step in ensuring that our National Quality and Safety Programme is not only aligned with global best practices but also tailored to meet the needs of the people of The Bahamas. This is about building a healthcare system that is safe, accountable and truly people-centred.”Dr Pearl McMillan, chief medical officer at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and Dr Cherita Moxey, health and policy planning at the Ministry of Health and Wellness and co-chair of the national quality and safety committee, were among the presenters.The launch of the National Quality and Safety Programme is scheduled for early 2026.
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
A CABINET minister last night said “unconventional solutions” are required to resolve the flooding woes routinely experienced in New Providence.
Clay Sweeting, minister of works and Family Island affairs, told a Town Hall meeting for the Coral Harbour road and drainage improvement project that there is a comprehensive flood mitigation plan for New Providence. A full assessment has been conducted to identify areas prone to flooding, locations where building codes need updating, and sites where
structures were built too low. The minister said the project team has been working for over a year on the plan for Coral Harbour, and is implementing technical solutions such as pumping stations and lift stations to manage flooding. The project aims to address these challenges with solutions that ensure the road and surrounding areas can better withstand extreme weather events.
“I'm sure, over the past few months, with the amount of rainfall, persons in this area were quite frustrated. They had to park their cars and get in big trucks to come out this way. The team has been working for, I think, at least over a year on this project, and they will be able to
PM: Bahamas ‘bearing weight’ of climate crisis
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
THE PRIME Minister yesterday called for fairness, justice, and tangible support for small island developing states as he warned that nations such as The Bahamas are “bearing the weight of a crisis we did not cause”.
Philip Davis KC, in a pre-recorded message for the United Nations (UN) COP 30 climate change conference, said investing in climate adaptation is not just a moral obligation but a financially-sound strategy.
Citing UN Development Programme (UNDP) data, he explained that every dollar spent on adaptation can generate more than $10 in benefits over a decade.
“This is not charity –this is smart investment in our collective future,” said Mr Davis. He highlighted the Communities Climate Adaptation Facility (C-CAF) as an effective model for delivering fast, community-level climate support.
Mr Davis explained that the programme provides quick-impact grants of up to $100,000 directly
to communities within 90 days of applying, allowing them to respond rapidly to climate threats, strengthen local resilience and remain safely in place.
He said this kind of community-driven, flexible funding is “exactly what The Bahamas needs” and confirmed that the country looks forward to participating in the C-CAF programme so that Bahamian communities can access these resources.
“This is exactly what The Bahamas needs, and we look forward to participating in C-CAF,” said Mr Davis.
He added that programmes such as C-CAF can only succeed if they receive stable, long-term funding. To ensure this, Mr Davis said he supports creating a community levy of at least 3 percent taken from voluntary contributions made to international climate finance institutions.
This portion of funding would be specifically set aside to support community-led climate projects, ensuring that local groups have reliable access to the resources they need to adapt and build resilience.
share some of the technical components in regards to pumping stations and lift stations and all of that,” said Mr Sweeting. “But unprecedented weather developments require unconventional solutions, and that's what this project has.”
Mr Sweeting said necessary approvals have been completed, including the procurement stage at the Ministry of Finance, and Cabinet approval.
He added that the contract is now ready, and he expects construction work to begin within the next few days, with surveying and preparatory work already completed.
“I know a lot of times you have town meetings and you say, nothing can happen. Just talk about
“Mechanisms like C-CAF need dedicated funding. That is why I support a community levy of at least 3 percent from voluntary contributions to international climate financing institutions, earmarked specifically to enable community-led action,” he added.
Mr Davis stressed that the world needs a much stronger and more co-ordinated global response to climate change, especially as sea levels continue to rise.
He said the 2026 UN Sea Level Rise Summit must produce an ambitious declaration that protects the long-term statehood of vulnerable nations, secures their maritime zones, and safeguards the rights and dignity of people who may be forced to relocate due to climate impacts.
“The Bahamas believes this declaration must go beyond words. It must commit the international community to a co-ordinated, well-financed global response,” said Mr Davis.
“We need partnerships that bring together governments, scientific institutions, international organisations and financial institutions to strengthen community-led adaptation, build resilience and provide legal protections for affected states like The Bahamas.”
it, and nothing happens afterwards. But we have a contractor here, and I'm glad to say that the project has already passed at the committee stage at the Ministry of Works, passed the procurement stage at the Ministry of Finance, and Tuesday was approved by Cabinet,” said Mr Sweeting. “So the contract is well ready to go, and we hope within the next few days you'll see some action on the ground. We've already did the surveying and other components that need to be done.” The project comes in the run-up to the Golden Isles by-election - a constituency that includes Coral Harbour.
Mr Sweeting said the project aims primarily to alleviate long-term flooding by installing new drainage
infrastructure to ensure the main Coral Harbour thoroughfare can handle heavy rainfall.
In addition to standard infrastructure, the project will use pumping stations that will operate automatically when water reaches a certain level, diverting it to designated areas determined by engineers and helping to manage and control floodwaters effectively.
Mr Sweeting said that in Coral Harbour, engineers will likely divert water to the canals, while in other areas of New Providence the project may use underground cavities below the water table to allow water to naturally dissipate.
“I think, in Coral Harbour, it will be to the canal, and other areas around New Providence we are looking
at possibly going below the water table and larger cavities on the ground, which would then allow water to just dissipate underground in areas that you don't have canals to push the water to. So, this is new technology in regards to utilising it in The Bahamas, so I'm excited about that,” said Mr Sweeting.
The project also aims to improve road safety. For motorists, this will include enhanced striping, signage and reflective markings, while pedestrian safety will also be a key focus. The project is expected to take 12 months to complete.
PM: New Bight airport is on time and budget
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
THE Prime Minister yesterday said the multi-million dollar New Bight International Airport upgrade is on time and on budget.
Speaking during a tour of the construction site, Philip Davis KC dismissed concerns that the project was behind schedule saying it will be “finished in very short order”.
“As far as I'm advised, it is on budget, and we intend to bring it in on budget. I think the contract sum is about $16m, and it's coming in on time,” said Mr Davis.
“This is on schedule. I know someone once said that [Christopher] Columbus would come back before it’s finished.’ Well, you can see where we are, and Columbus will not be back here to see this finished. It will be finished in very short order.”
Mr Davis said he is satisfied with the project’s progress, and added that the new terminal building will accommodate multiple essential services.
“The terminal building is going to house both Immigration, Customs and the police station and, of course, the various airlines that will be occupying and flying into the island. I am so pleased with the progress,” said Mr Davis.
He stressed the importance of creating opportunities for all Bahamians, starting with improving infrastructure on the Family Islands.
“We’re creating opportunities for all, and I think opportunities start with ensuring that we have proper infrastructure on the
Family Islands. And we’re doing it island by island.
This is not just here on Cat Island; all of the islands will see upgrades;” said Mr Davis.
He added that airports and docks are key to improving connectivity, making it easier for people to visit the islands. By upgrading these transport hubs, the Government aims to encourage travel, tourism and economic activity, using improved access as a foundation for broader opportunities.
“The airports are just the catalyst for the connectivity. And what better way to have people come into the island than by ensuring that they could get in. We do that by ensuring that you upgrade the docks and proper airports,” Mr Davis said.
PHILIP DAVIS KC
Construction and utilities drive first half expansion
GROWTH - from page B1
operations, also fails to support such impressive Bahamian economic growth.
The 4.7 percent growth rate for the 2025 first half, which took GDP or economic output to $7.406bn compared to $7.073bn for the same period in 2024, is more than double the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) forecast of 2.2 percent full-year growth for The Bahamas.
The rating agencies, too, have forecast lower - albeit above average - growth for The Bahamas with Standard & Poor’s (S&P) pegging the country’s 2025 GDP expansion at 2.1 percent, and Moody’s and Fitch coming in lower at 1.8 percent each.
Yet Gowon Bowe, Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) chief executive, told this newspaper that comparisons between the Institute’s 4.7 percent real first-half growth rate and the much lower external forecasts are not “apples for apples” or on a like-for-like basis.
This, he explained, is because the Institute is using year-over-year comparisons - benchmarking
The Bahamas’ growth against the same periods in 2024 - while the IMF and
rating agencies are measuring GDP expansion on an annualised basis. And he noted that there appeared to be “variability in the actual GDP performance per quarter, so it’s not an actual overall growth of 4 percent in annual GDP”.
“I would say that, certainly, 4 percent is not even in the realm of possibility as real GDP [growth],”
Mr Bowe told Tribune Business. “It’s possible as nominal GDP. From a real GDP perspective I would argue it’s very likely we’re not comparing apples with apples…
“To have that level of GDP growth, you’d expect a significant contraction in unemployment. Certainly, the number of persons employed, there has not been any significant explosion from last year to this year.” Apart from an 8,885 increase in the number of unemployed persons between the 2024 third quarter and January 2025, the latest BNSI workforce 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”.
Advocate ‘optimistic’ of support despite election’s intervention
LEGISLATE - from page B1
even though he conceded it will likely not happen before the 2026 general election, he added that tomorrow’s session will mark the last effort to craft such an Act that can then be presented to the Government along with a report on his survey of SME owners.
Mr Turnquest told this newspaper that he plans to complete and present the report to the Prime Minister by May 1 next year, as he again detailed the benefits of legislation dedicated to the micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) sector - including turnover-based definitions of what such enterprises actually are.
Mr Bowe, meanwhile, said too few FDI projects have “come on stream” to generate such significant real GDP growth. “Most of the projects are at the development stage,” he added. “We’re not aware of any developments that would trigger such a growth rate in that regard.
“We know air arrivals for the year have been flat or experiencing a slight decline, so unless there has been a huge spending increase by persons travelling there’s not been any major difference in tourism’s contribution because the numbers are flat.
“It’s very important we do a sense check against other indicators. There should be a correlation if we are seeing substantial GDP growth. Certainly, to have that level of GDP growth would be extremely surprising given that the unemployment data didn’t match up, air arrivals didn’t match up, and projects coming on stream didn’t match up,” Mr Bowe added. “All the other factors that level of GDP growth should support have not been achieved.
“For something as significant as that, it’s important for them to describe that factors that led to the increase, the underlying sectors and industries, and any change in productivity.” Mr Bowe said the 4.7 percent 2025 first-half growth rate projected by the Institute is one that The Bahamas has
Arguing that this would make it easier to tailor and target assistance to each segment of the SME market, he added that the draft Act would also propose the creation of oversight and steering committees featuring private sector representatives are more aware of small business needs and what such ventures require to help them stay afloat and, ultimately expand.
Mr Turnquest said these committees will also help to better co-ordinate the work of the multiple agencies that assist small businesses, such as the Small Business Development Centre, Bahamas Entrepreneurial Venture Fund, Bahamas Development Bank, Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC, Tourism Development Corporation and others so as to prevent duplication, waste of resources and better target support to where it is needed.
And, be legislating, Mr Turnquest said policies and initiatives aimed at small businesses will have a statutory footing and protection, thus ensuring these cannot be altered “overnight” when administrations change and
long “aspired to achieve to keep unemployment at a minimum, and we’ve not achieved that.
“There hasn’t been anything that’s taken place that I’m aware of, and when you have multilateral agencies and rating agencies reporting numbers that are half that size, that is a significant discrepancy to be resolved so that we are all singing from the same hymn sheet.”
The Institute, which said it derived its estimates from data provided by the Ministry of Tourism, Central Bank of The Bahamas, trade statistics and government’s fiscal information, said the construction industry; wholesale and retail trade industry; the accommodation and food services industry; and electricity, gas, water and sewerage industry (utilities) sector had driven the increased 2025 economic output.
Construction’s contribution to GDP growth increased by $135m yearover-year, it was estimated, while the wholesale and retail trade industry plus motor vehicle repairs generated an extra $53m. The utilities sector’s impact expanded by $49m, while accommodation and food services generated an extra $46m.
“Real GDP is the measure of economic activity adjusted for inflation,” the Institute said. “The halfyear real GDP 2025, which combines the first and second quarters, indicates
providing Bahamian startups and entrepreneurs with consistency and continuity.
“I’m closing up my career with this small business symposium on November 15,” he told Tribune Business in a recent interview. “It’s the final push. I’ve spoken to the Prime Minister, Simon Wilson [financial secretary] and Michael Halkitis [minister of economic affairs] and let them know this is the final prospectus.
“I’ve been doing this research for 17 years. This is the final physical process of people coming together to draw up the Act. People are not receptive and excited because I’ve been at it for so long - 16-17 years - and they say I’m just wasting my time because under four different administrations the Act was never legislated.
“The Prime Minister promised me, and says he’s actually interested in legislating it in the near future… I’m optimistic. I feel that the PLP has the political will this time. First of all, when I spoke to the Prime Minister, officially and unofficially, over the past four years he indicated he had motivation.”
Mr Turnquest acknowledged that the long-proposed Act will “not be legislated between now and the next election because the election
that the Bahamian economy stood at $7.4bn as of June 30, 2025.
“The period recorded an overall increase of 4.7 percent, outperforming the GDP recorded during the same period of 2024. This increase in the half-year 2025 GDP was led by the first quarter of 2025, which reported $3.7bn, representing a 6.9 percent increase compared to the same quarter in 2024 and a 3.4 percent increase relative to the fourth Quarter 2024.
“The second quarter of 2025 registered a GDP of $3.69bn, representing a 2.6 percent increase when compared to the same quarter in 2024. Conversely, when compared to the first quarter of 2025, the second quarter recorded a slight decline of 0.6 percent.” Real GDP strips out the impact of inflation.
Nominal GDP does not, and the Institute report said: “The half-year ending at the second quarter 2025 recorded an increase in nominal GDP of 6.1 percent compared to the same period of 2024.
“The nominal growth, which has not been adjusted for inflation, represents an increase of $495m over the same period in 2024.”
Other observers, though, were less than convinced about the 4.7 percent real GDP growth finding.
“There’s nothing about that which makes any sense at all,” one said. “There’s nothing we are seeing in terms
is priority”. However, he pledged that his report on small business challenges, needs and opportunities, based on interviews with entrepreneurs and other research, will be completed and presented to the Government by May 1, 2026. He added that previous efforts to pass such an Act have been stalled and derailed by the repeated changes in administration every five years. Mr Turnquest said that, under the last Christie administration from 2012 to 2017, he and others had worked on the creation of the Small and Medium-Sized Business Development Agency (SMEDA).
But then the Minnis administration was elected and subsequently created its own version of the same agency - the SBDC. “They threw the baby out with the bath water,” Mr Turnquest said, referring to the National Development Plan as well as SMEDA.
“I spoke to a lot of ministers,” he added of the Davis administration, “and a lot of them have the political will. The timing is right because the economic conditions for small businesses are thriving. The only problem is we need sustainable strategies so that if the Government changes the strategies and the policies don’t change.
of tourism arrivals and government revenues that supports the notion that the economy is essentially on fire.
“It would show up in other ways. If the economy was that hot, we’d see it in other ways, but the other indicators don’t support that kind of growth. There’s nothing in the Central Bank’s reports that support it. It’s hard to square that one. I’m not buying it at all. Why aren’t Bahamians feeling it more? Why aren’t real wages growing? Why are we not seeing it in the employment and revenue numbers?”
Another added: “Four percent is a very, very strong growth rate. Any time there is an economy growing in excess of 3.5 percent that is a very, very strong growth rate, bearing in mind that over the past decade we’ve had average growth rates of just under 2 percent.
“I’m not talking about growth rates after COVID; we were getting back to ground level and are now pretty much past COVID. If you’re telling me the economy is growing at 4.7 percent we’d all be feeling the effects of it, like in the unemployment numbers. Unemployment has been growing. If you just look at some of our historical growth rates, ask yourself: On the face of it, what they are reporting doesn’t make sense.”
“The Small Business Act, when legislated, will be a long-standing foundation for stability of economic conditions for SMEs because it will not have changed overnight. If it is not legislated, there will not be a mandate for small business decision-making.
“For the past 50 years we did not have a strong enough growth in our small business sector because, after 1997, the Government has changed every five years. Each government has its own priorities,” Mr Turnquest said. “We never had a definition of small business because there’s never a consistent perspective from a policy point of view.
“Because of that we have stagnated growth….. This is going to bring a synergy of government and non-government organisations to have one focus on one mission: Sustainable business strategies, so that when governments change it does not change the strategy because of politics. It keeps politics out of it. Politics has been destroying the small business sector for all these years. This is my final attempt. This is it.” Mr Turnquest added that, while Barbados has had small business legislation in place since 1999, and the US from 1958, “The Bahamas is the only country without such an Act”.
‘Uncompensated care’ is key improvement target
tackling “uncompensated care”. Mr Deveaux acknowledged that the BISX-listed provider’s $46.503m trade receivables as at June, 30, 2025, represent “a material risk” but said progress is being made. This figure, listed as a net sum that does not include $19m in provisions for “doubtful accounts”, represents monies owed by individual patients, third-party insurers and the Government for medical services the company has rendered.
The Doctors Hospital chief financial officer, though, pointed out that it had cut the rate of increase in those provisions by around 50 percent during its 2025 financial year compared to the previous 12 months, dropping additions
to this balance to $6.6m compared to $13.3m in 2024.
Noting that the healthcare provider has already delivered on its revenue growth pledges, with the $120m-plus top-line for 2025 around double that for pre-COVID levels, Mr Deveaux told Tribune Business: “We know that there’s a lot of good things we are doing, and we hope shareholders continue to trust us to make the right investment decisions for the long-term, but there clearly has to be a deposit on that.
“While we are not out of our growth phase yet, we had a decent first-half. We know we should be doing more. We still have a lot of projects that speak to our future, so earnings are still muted. But investors are looking at where the longterm trajectory is.
Commission chief seeking to cut out US ‘middlemen’
TRADE - from page B1
Latin America, to get goods. And so Latin America represents one of our most natural commercial corridors, and we are making sure Bahamians are positioned to access it.”
Mr Griffin said the Commission is working with a Bahamian shipping company to provide direct shipments from Panama that would occur every 14 days, creating a link between The Bahamas and Latin America that Bahamian businesses and citizens can use.
In terms of food quality, Mr Griffin said he has assisted many Bahamian retailers and distributors with trade missions to Latin America where they had the opportunity to meet manufacturers, suppliers and developers and get a feel of the quality for themselves.
The Trade Commission has also conducted missions to Africa over the past few years that have “resulted in new private sector partnerships, new sourcing opportunities, government to government co-operation, and the opening of strong channels for Bahamians to pursue business opportunities on the African continent”. Mr Griffin listed countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Angola and Algeria. He noted that Ghana, in particular, has been targeted for construction materials.
“The cost of building in this country is very high, and so one of the things we’re doing to help alleviate that cost is to open up new source markets for building supplies and building materials,” Mr Griffin said. “The continent of Africa is a big market for that.
“So we’ve been working very closely with West
Africa, Ghana in particular, to source construction materials from cement, steel, rebar, different types of wood and lumber and all manner of construction materials. And so we’ve been working very closely with contractors in The Bahamas, developers in The Bahamas, and the Government of The Bahamas so that we can source materials from these countries.
“We’re also working very closely with Bahamian shipping and logistics companies, one of whom actually opened a new office in Ghana to help facilitate this trade between The Bahamas and Ghana. And so we’ve been very busy in Africa.”
Panama, Brazil, and Ecuador are other countries The Bahamas is working with to obtain
“We are thinking about dividend yields. During a growth phase dividend yields sometimes suffer. We’ll look at dividend yields and to finish the current pipeline project strongly…
The Grand Bahama hospital, we had a deep dive to look at how that project’s going to do this week. It’s within an acceptable level of our budget, and and we are eyeing when we will announce the opening of its doors.
“We are quite optimistic about the future. We have quite a bit of work to do to bring projects into play, but the investor community has seen the results of these projects over the last two years. The first half has yielded a profit and it would be good if we can continue to do so.”
Doctors Hospital’s revenues for the 2025 first half increased by $3.331m or 5.5 percent year-over-year, growing to $64.328m compared to $60.997m for the year before. This was aided
construction materials. Mr Griffin added that - through trade missions - new export channels and partnerships have also been formed with neighbouring Caribbean countries including Trinidad, Jamaica and Barbados. He said they are working with another shipping company to create a trade route throughout the Caribbean.
“And so we’ve also had partnerships with major markets such as Canada,” Mr Griffin said. “In February, there was a major trade mission from Canada to The Bahamas, hosted here at Baha Mar. We’ve had many engagements with the United Kingdom, structured around rum and spirits, but also structured around luxury goods.
“We had a partnership with Paris, and we’ve also had many engagements with China, one that occurred quite recently in August of this year, in which we’re trying to deepen our ties with China
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by $4.4m in net patient ser-
vices revenues generated by the Kidney Centre, its latest acquisition, of which $2.2m was earned in the first quarter.
The Kidney Centre did not contribute to Doctors Hospital’s first quarter revenues in 2025 because the purchase was not completed until end-April in 2024. Mr Deveaux said the BISX-listed provider now plans to accelerate the former’s integration into its operation by making all the necessary investments this current financial year in anticipation of it becoming a strong profits contributor by 2027.
“The revenue development side of The Kidney Centre is basically informed by the patients that are signed. We know there are going to be short-term movements but we have no concern with that,” he added. “We have decided to make all the key investments to integrate their operations this year.
for obvious reasons. And so these missions focus on investment, logistics, trade facilitation, financial services and expanding professional opportunities for Bahamians.”
Speaking to visa-free travel opportunities, Mr Griffin said these can open “trade corridors for Bahamians to do more business.”
He added that the Davis administration has signed over 21 visa-free travel agreements allowing for Bahamians to travel visa free to about 162 countries and “making The Bahamas have one of the most powerful passports on Earth”. Mr Griffin stated that compliance officers should also see their skills as an exportable service. “One of
“Normally what we do with an acquisition in the first year is that we watch and observe what is going on. We talk about what integration means for the patients, what it means for staff, and how the repositioning will improve operations for them. We are thinking about that in the current year. We don’t expect a big net income contribution this current year, but it will be positioned for that to happen in 2027.”
Mr Deveaux said Doctors Hospital had fulfilled its revenue pledges to investors and shareholders, with a “top-line almost double pre-COVID levels. The next thing that has to follow is to drive efficiencies and profitability. We think that [revenues] is an important milestone that has been reached, and then it comes to squeezing out a profit.
“It’s not at the level that we want, but clearly it’s a step in the right direction,” Mr Deveaux said of the
the things that I get stuck on here in The Bahamas is that when we talk about trade, we only think about physical products,” he added.
“So we don’t trade anything. We don’t make anything. People don’t realise that we have one of the most educated populations in the region, and our professional services are part of the trade we partake in. Our lawyers, our accountants, our bankers and our compliance officers are all part of the professional services trade that we can offer the world.
“The kind of work and deals that we do here in The Bahamas aren’t common. They’re common for us, but our architects and engineers have worked on projects
2025 first half and first and second quarter profitability.
“We’re executing our 2025 plan, which is wrapping up, and starting to think about what Doctors Hospital 2030 looks like.
“We have to do so in an environment where we deliver a level of profit and level of dividends to shareholders. That’s clearly a focus for us…. Clearly we believe there is more, and there should be more, returns to the bottom line. If you say what are the drivers, we have a clear line of sight on revenue.
“Revenues are about what services do Bahamians need, and to make it more accessible and affordable while retaining the quality of care. The key drivers of profitability are to collaborate with the Government, lessen the cost of uncompensated care and lowering the cost of procurement. We have a clear line of sight, and we’re going to push for returns to shareholders.”
like Baha Mar and Atlantis, and the many gated communities that don’t exist in the rest of the Caribbean. Bahamian bankers and lawyers and compliance officers advise clients all over the world that are unheard of in other jurisdictions. You can take this experience and take it to the rest of the world.
“We have one of the strongest, most sophisticated, compliant communities in this region, trained in financial services, digital assets, insurance, real estate, FinTech, banking, payments, due diligence, international risk frameworks and this your expertise is in global demand.”
DPM assessing project proposals for Downtown
CRUISE - from page B1
the Government is in active discussions with Royal Caribbean. Given that the Government and Bahamian investors will own 49 percent of the project, he added that they will have a say in what happens.
“The other point I will make is that all of the businesses on the island would be owned by Bahamians, as is required in their [Royal Caribbean’s] Heads of Agreement, and all of their services are to be provided by Bahamians, as is mandated in their Heads of Agreement,” Mr Cooper said.
“So we’re looking forward through the Tourism
Development Corporation and the Ministry of Tourism to working along with them to package tours, to enhance what is now available. And, hopefully, as a result of this, this would get more guests actually off the ship.”
Mr Cooper said more activities and attractions are needed for tourists, including cruise passengers to enjoy because “if this [Paradise Island] facility attracts 1,000 tourists a day, there are 29,000 that’s still looking for things to do”. The goal is to encourage cruise passengers to leave the ship and patronise Bahamian businesses on shore as “we are competing with getting people off the ship”.
“We are competing with getting people off the ship, because there are not enough attractions for them to do,” Mr Cooper said. “So the more we get them off the ship, the more the chances are that they will spend more money on shore.
“When they come back from Royal Beach Club, they must traverse Bay Street, and by doing so, they would be able to support Bahamian entrepreneurs. No doubt there will continue to be business for Junkanoo Beach, the most visited beach in the country, as well as nearby Arawak Cay, but certainly it’s important for us to continue to enhance and to continue to improve our overall offering for our guests.
“What we need to do is really continue to enhance the product and look at this as a part of an ecosystem
SOUTH KOREAN GROWERS SUE STATE POWER UTILITY, BLAMING CLIMATE CHANGE FOR CROP DAMAGE
By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press
HWANG Seong-yeol stood at the edge of a golden field, watching nervously as a combine harvester crawled through his rice, churning up mud and stalks. Its steady hum filled the damp autumn air as grain poured into a truck waiting at the other end of the muddy paddy.
It was the final day of what Hwang said was one of his toughest seasons in three decades of farming. He and other farmers feel helpless against increasingly erratic weather that they link to climate change and damage to their crops. It has complicated their work and cast uncertainty over their futures.
Hwang is one of five South Korean farmers who recently sued the state utility Korea Electric Power Corporation and its power-generating subsidiaries, alleging that their reliance on coal and other fossil fuels has accelerated climate change and damaged their crops.
The lawsuit raises questions about whether power companies' role in driving climate change, and the resulting agricultural losses, can be quantified. It is the first of its kind in South Korea, said Yeny Kim, a lawyer with the Seoul-based nonprofit Solutions for Our Climate, who is handling the case.
The case underscores the challenges South Korea, a manufacturing power that industrialized long after the Western nations
now pressuring others to abandon fossil fuels, faces in transitioning to cleaner energy.
Unstable weather causes 'agricultural disasters'
Hwang's fields are on a reclaimed coastal plain along South Korea's western sea, where glimmering waterways crisscross dark, rich soil and flocks of migratory geese drift overhead, moving like a giant, living quilt.
A remarkably rainy September and October followed a bitterly cold spring that stunted plant growth. Summer floods caused further damage before the wet autumn bred fungal disease. Hwang would have preferred to harvest in drier weather but had to do so sooner as relentless rains pushed rice stalks into the soil, causing the ripe grains to sprout. That day in late October was only the second dry day after 18 straight days of rain.
"It's really unsettling –we know how much rice we should normally get from 30,000 pyeong (25 acres) of land, but the yield has been steadily declining every year," said Hwang, who expects this year's harvest to be 20% to 25% below normal.
"We began to question why it's always the farmers — who haven't done anything wrong — that end up suffering the consequences of the climate crisis. Shouldn't we be demanding something from those who are actually causing it?"
Farmers are "inherently vulnerable" to climate change, said Kim, the lawyer.
In an annual climate report in April, South Korea's government detailed how a year of extreme weather events in 2024, the country's hottest year ever, triggered a series of "agricultural disasters" of heavy summer rains that destroyed thousands of hectares (acres) of cropland, followed by weeks of intense heat that wrecked still more crops, mostly rice.
Lawyer says KEPCO group is liable for 0.4% of global climate damage Kim and her colleagues decided to file the lawsuit, which represents plaintiffs from across South Korea, after speaking with Hwang and others at farmers markets.
They say KEPCO, which holds a monopoly on electricity transmission and fully owns its subsidiaries, should bear some blame for the destabilized weather, citing what they say are excessive carbon emissions and a lagging transition to renewable energy.
From 2011-2022, the companies produced about 30% of South Korea's greenhouse gas emissions and roughly 0.4% of global emissions, based on Kim's analysis of publicly available data.
"Therefore, they should also bear 0.4% of the responsibility for the farmers' losses," Kim said.
The lawsuit seeks initial damage claims of 5 million
that improves the overall experience of The Bahamas but, at the same time, we emphasise that it has to be a win-win.”
Turning to Downtown Nassau’s revitalisation, Mr Cooper said steady progress is being made. “Whenever I’m asked this question, I say that the decay in downtown happened over the last 40 years,” he added. “We’re not going to take 40 years to repair some of the things that’s under decay. But it’s not an overnight fix. It is constant work.
“At 4am in the morning, there are people down there scrubbing and cleaning and moving garbage and watering plants, and doing a whole myriad of things that weren’t being done a year ago. We’re seeing some overall improvements in some of the structures. This is not something the Government can do on its own.”
Mr Cooper said buildings and properties in the area are mostly owned by Bahamian entrepreneurs who do not take care of them any more. He said some have offered to renovate and create new storefronts, as well as provide murals on some of the buildings. The deputy prime minister added that more than 10 buildings have been demolished and, over the course of the next two weeks, demolition will continue on the Elizabeth Avenue block. Mr Cooper said he has a draft request for proposals for a space on Bay Street that will be announced shortly.
“I have on my desk at the moment draft request for proposals for hotels and retail and mixed-use developments downtown,” he said. “One for the Levy building space, and one for another space on Bay Street that will be announced
shortly, and a third for the old Gaming Bboard space on Cable Beach.
“But I want to tip my hat to the people who do this job every day. It’s not easy. You have 12, 15,000 people walking on Bay Street every day. We have some business owners who who are not as co-operative or not as tidy as they as they can be, who do not follow the guidelines set by the by the downtown revitalisation unit in terms of moving garbage and other things.
“So you may walk by at 2pm and 2.30pm. There may be a big bag of garbage there, and you might criticise this unit that’s working so hard. So I want to tell you that the work is continuing. There are people who are committed to this exercise and and we’re making progress.”
won ($3,400) per client, an amount likely to be adjusted as the case proceeds. The plaintiffs are also symbolically seeking 2,035 won ($1.4) each to urge the government to phase out coal power plants by 2035, ahead of its 2040 target.
Renewable energy accounted for only 10.5% of the national energy mix in 2024, and the five KEPCO subsidiaries relied on coal for more than 71% of the electricity they produced that year, according to government data.
KEPCO told The Associated Press it considers carbon reduction a key responsibility, citing its goal of cutting emissions 40% by 2030 from 2018 levels. But it declined to comment further on the lawsuit, saying it "cannot share information that could influence the verdict."
Experts say mounting debt, now at over 200 trillion won ($137 billion), that accumulated over decades of government policies that kept electricity rates low for households and industries,
limits the utility's ability to expand and modernize the power grid or invest in renewable energy.
Uncertain impact of a largely symbolic lawsuit
Yun Sun-Jin, a professor at Seoul National University, said the lawsuit has symbolic value but questioned whether blame could fall solely on KEPCO, given that everyone benefits from its cheap electricity. It would be difficult to prove the utility directly caused farm losses, when climate change is a "global problem," she said. It does draw attention to South Korea's need for a more effective approach to renewable energy, Yun said, including deregulating solar investments, expanding sources such as offshore wind, and ending KEPCO's monopoly over electricity transmission to encourage other competitors with diverse technologies.
South Korea is expected to reach its target of 32.95% renewable energy by around 2038 — far
slower than the 33.49% average in 2023 among developed economies in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
Some experts, including Yun, warn that South Korea's slow shift to renewable energy could hinder its ambitions in advanced semiconductors and artificial intelligence, as its tech giants face global pressure to operate on clean power. "Climate change and carbon neutrality are not just environmental concerns — they are economic issues, ultimately about jobs and our survival," Yun said. From tangerines to rice: a shared threat
The impact of extreme weather resulting from climate change is far reaching in South Korea. Farmers now face higher costs and must use more labor to produce the same or lower yields.
FARMERS use combine harvesters at a rice paddy of farmer Hwang Seong-yeol in Seosan, South Korea, Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.
Photo:Ahn Young-joon/AP
Top Fannie Mae officials ousted after sounding alarm on sharing sensitive housing data
By BRIAN SLODYSKO Associated Press
A CONFIDANT of Bill Pulte, the Trump administration's top housing regulator, provided confidential mortgage pricing data from Fannie Mae to a principal competitor, alarming senior officials of the government-backed lending giant who warned it could expose the company to claims that it was colluding with a rival to fix mortgage rates.
Emails reviewed by The Associated Press show that Fannie Mae executives were unnerved about what one called the "very problematic" disclosure of data by Lauren Smith, the company's head of marketing, who was acting on Pulte's behalf.
"Lauren, the information that was provided to Freddie Mac in this email is a problem," Malloy Evans, senior vice president of Fannie Mae's single-family mortgage division, wrote in an Oct. 11 email addressed to Smith. "That is confidential, competitive information."
He also copied Fannie Mae's CEO, Priscilla Almodovar, on the email, which bore the subject line: "As Per Director Pulte's Ask." Evans asked Fannie Mae's top attorney "to weigh in on what, if any, steps we need to take legally to protect ourselves now."
While Smith still holds her position, the senior Fannie Mae officials who called her conduct into question were all forced out of their jobs late last month, along with internal ethics watchdogs who were investigating Pulte and his allies.
Housing industry rattled by dismissals
The dismissals rattled the housing industry and drew condemnation from Democrats. It also gave Pulte's critics evidence to support claims that he has leveraged the nonpublic information available to him to further his own political aims.
"This is another example of Bill Pulte weaponizing his role to do
Donald Trump's bidding, instead of working to lower costs amidst a housing crisis," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee. "His behavior raises significant questions, and he needs to be brought in front of Congress to answer them."
The episode marks the latest example of Pulte using what is typically a low-profile position in the federal bureaucracy to enhance his own standing and gain the attention of President Trump. He's prompted mortgage fraud investigations of prominent Democrats who are some of the president's best known antagonists, including Sen. Adam Schiff of California, New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Rep. Eric Swalwell.
In June, he ordered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prepare a proposal for the firms to accept cryptocurrency, another industry Trump has boosted, as part of the criteria for buying mortgages from banks.
Last week, he persuaded Trump about the allure of a 50-year mortgage as a way to increase home buying and building — a proposal
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that LOUINEL MICHEL of Campbell Avenue, Jerome Avenue, 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 14th day of November 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
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NOTICE is hereby given that JUSTIN DABELUS 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 5th day of November 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 CARLOS JEAN of New Providence, The Bahamas 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 14th day of November 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
that was widely criticized because it would drastically increase the overall price of a loan.
Pulte is also targeting the nation's largest homebuilders
Pulte also has focused on large home construction companies, which have drawn Trump's ire. Pulte requested confidential Fannie Mae data and has publicly signaled that he is considering a crackdown if the companies do not increase construction volume.
"I'm looking at the Fannie Mae builder data and with the top three homebuilders we buy EASILY over $20 billion in THEIR LOANS!" he posted to X in early October.
In a brief statement, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which Pulte leads, did not address questions from the AP, but said the agency "requires its regulated entities to carry out their operations in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations."
Fannie Mae said it takes "compliance with the law very seriously and we have a rigorous program to ensure we follow all laws and regulations."
Pulte and Smith did not respond to requests for comment.
Currying favor with the president
Since his appointment to lead the FHFA, Pulte has sought to ingratiate himself with Trump. The 37-yearold scion of a homebuilding company fortune, Pulte has cultivated a reputation as a hyper-online millennial with a thirst for recognition and a desire to please the president. He and his wife also donated about $1 million to Trump's campaign, records show.
When Trump sought to oust Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell, Pulte became a leading attacker, routinely taking to X, formerly Twitter, where he has over 3 million followers, to excoriate the central bank leader.
On Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported that some Fannie Mae ethics and oversight officials who were fired last month had been investigating whether Pulte improperly obtained mortgage information for James, who was charged last month with bank fraud after Pulte sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department. She said the charges, which she denies, are politically motivated.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that MIDLINE JN NOEL of Guana Cay, 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 14th day of November 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 DARIO FRANCO VINCENT 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 14th day of November 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 BERNADIN FAUSTIN 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 7th day of November 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
DIRECTOR of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Bill Pulte speaks with reporters at the White House, Sept. 2, 2025, in Washington. Photo:Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Pulte's power over the mortgage lending industry is unusual. Not long after his Senate confirmation, he appointed himself chairman of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which both hold trillions of dollars in assets. The companies serve as a crucial backstop for the home lending industry by buying up mortgages from individual lenders, which are packaged together and sold to investors.
The three competing roles present the potential for a conflict of interest that is detailed in emails reviewed by AP. Like many matters of public policy in Trump's Washington, it appears to have begun with a social media post.
In early October, Trump criticized the homebuilding industry, which he likened to the oil-market-dominating cartel OPEC.
"They're sitting on 2 million empty lots, A RECORD," the president posted to his social media platform, Truth Social.
"I'm asking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to get Big Homebuilders going."
"On it," Pulte posted in response on X.
Sensitive data was gathered
Soon, a team at Fannie Mae was overseeing an effort to pull together a tranche of mortgage data, according to emails reviewed by the AP. Smith played a central role and shared the confidential lender-level pricing information with Freddie Mac, which set off alarms at both companies, according to the emails. A spokesman for Freddie Mac declined comment.
In the Oct. 11 email to Smith, Evans, the Fannie Mae mortgage executive, also added others to the email chain because they "were involved with this week's efforts to compile this information" and he wanted to "make sure you do not exacerbate this issue."
Danielle McCoy, Fannie Mae's general counsel, weighed in, adding that the information Smith provided to Freddie Mac should "never be shared" and "could put the company at risk."
He turned to Smith, who in her brief tenure at Fannie Mae had become a trusted Pulte ally whose work portfolio transcended the boundaries dividing Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the FHFA, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that PEDRO WHITE of Fresh Creek, Andros, 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 14th day of November 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
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NOTICE is hereby given that KERVENSON LOUIDOR of Keywest Street, 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 14th day of November 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
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NOTICE is hereby given that YVRANCE SAUNDERS/ TOUSSAINT of Treasure Cay , 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 5th day of November 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
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NOTICE is hereby given that RODNER JOSEPH of East Street off Gibbs Corner, 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 7th day of November, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
Blue Origin launches huge rocket carrying twin NASA spacecraft to Mars
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer
BLUE Origin launched its huge New Glenn rocket Thursday with a pair of NASA spacecraft destined for Mars.
It was only the second flight of the rocket that Jeff Bezos' company and NASA are counting on to get people and supplies to the moon — and it was a complete success.
The 321-foot (98-meter)
New Glenn blasted into the afternoon sky from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, sending NASA's twin Mars orbiters on a drawnout journey to the red planet. Liftoff was stalled four days by lousy local weather as well as solar storms strong enough to paint the skies with auroras as far south as Florida.
In a remarkable first, Blue Origin recovered the booster following its separation from the upper stage and the Mars orbiters, an essential step to recycle and slash costs similar to SpaceX. Company employees cheered wildly as the booster landed upright on a barge 375 miles (600 kilometers) offshore. An ecstatic Bezos watched the action from Launch Control.
"Next stop, moon!" employees chanted following the booster's bull's-eye landing. Twenty minutes later, the rocket's upper stage deployed the two Mars orbiters in space, the mission's main objective. Congratulations poured in from NASA officials as well as SpaceX's Elon Musk, whose booster landings are now routine.
New Glenn's inaugural test flight in January delivered a prototype satellite to orbit, but failed to land the booster on its floating platform in the Atlantic.
The identical Mars orbiters, named Escapade, will spend a year hanging out near Earth, stationing themselves 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away. Once Earth and Mars are properly aligned next fall, the duo will get a gravity assist from Earth to head to the red planet, arriving in 2027.
Once around Mars, the spacecraft will map the planet's upper atmosphere and scattered magnetic fields, studying how these realms interact with the solar wind. The observations should shed light on the processes behind the escaping Martian atmosphere, helping to explain how the planet went from wet and warm to dry and dusty. Scientists will also learn how best to protect astronauts against Mars' harsh radiation environment.
"We really, really want to understand the interaction of the solar wind with Mars better than we do now," Escapade's lead scientist,
Rob Lillis of the University of California, Berkeley, said ahead of the launch. "Escapade is going to bring an unprecedented stereo viewpoint because we're going to have two spacecraft at the same time."
It's a relatively lowbudget mission, coming in under $80 million, that's managed and operated by UC Berkeley. NASA saved money by signing up for one of New Glenn's early flights. The Mars orbiters should have blasted off last fall, but NASA passed up that ideal launch window — Earth and Mars line up for a quick transit just every two years — because of feared delays with Blue Origin's brand-new rocket. Named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit the world, New Glenn is five times bigger than the New Shepard rockets sending wealthy clients to the edge of space from West Texas. Blue Origin plans to launch a prototype Blue Moon lunar lander on a
demo mission in the coming months aboard New Glenn. Created in 2000 by Bezos, Amazon's founder, Blue Origin already holds a NASA contract for the third moon landing by astronauts under the Artemis program. Musk's SpaceX beat out Blue Origin for the first and second crew landings, using Starships, nearly 100 feet (30 meters) taller than Bezos' New Glenn.
But last month NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy reopened the contract for the first crewed moon landing, citing concern over the pace of Starship's progress in flight tests from Texas. Blue Origin as well as SpaceX have presented accelerated landing plans. NASA is on track to send astronauts around the moon early next year using its own Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket. The next Artemis crew would attempt to land; the space agency is pressing to get astronauts back on the lunar surface by decade's end in order to beat China.
By JOSH BOAK and SONIA PÉREZ D. Associated Press
THE Trump administration said Thursday that it had reached trade frameworks with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala.
The frameworks are about increasing the ability of U.S. firms to sell industrial and agricultural products in these countries, according to a senior administration official who insisted on anonymity as a condition for briefing reporters on a call about the agreements.
The White House also released statements on the frameworks, which have yet to be finalized and are expected to be signed within roughly two weeks. It's all part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump to rewrite the rules of global commerce through the use of broad tariffs.
President Javier Milei of Argentina hailed his country's first bilateral trade framework with the U.S. in nearly a decade as "tremendous news."
"As you can see, we are strongly committed to making Argentina great again," he said.
Under the tariffs previously announced at the end of July by Trump, goods imported from Argentina, El Salvador and Guatemala are taxed at 10%, as the U.S. runs a trade surplus with each of those countries. Products from Ecuador, with which America runs a trade deficit, are taxed at 15%.
Guatemala President Bernardo Arévalo called the framework "good news" and said his country would be in a position to attract new investments.
He said that 70% of the products Guatemala exports to the U.S. will face zero tariffs under the framework, as exclusions are granted for goods the U.S. is unable to make. All other goods would still be subject to the 10% tariff. The U.S. senior administration official said that tariffs in these nations could be reduced on coffee, cocoa and bananas.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trump have each suggested that the tariffs are being relaxed as affordability issues are a key concern for U.S. voters.
The frameworks touch on an array of subjects, including efforts to reduce nontariff barriers and cut tariffs to 0% on American-made goods as well as commitments to not impose digital services taxes on U.S. companies. There would also be tariff relief on select products from these countries. For example, import licenses in these countries would be eliminated and streamlined, while nations would agree to resolve issues on intellectual property rights.
INVESTMENTS LTD. Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Registration number 205445 B (In Voluntary Liquidation)
Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 12th day of November A.D. 2025.
Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The Liquidator is Mr. Cesar Augusto Pires dos Santos, whose address is Av. Melicio Machado, 4000 Quadra 6, Casa 10, Aeroporto, CEP: 49038-443, Aracaju, Brazil. Any Persons having a Claim against the abovenamed Company are required on or before the 12th day of December A.D. 2025 to send their names, addres es 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 12th day of November A.D. 2025. CESAR AUGUSTO PIRES DOS SANTOS LIQUIDATOR
A BLUE Origin New Glenn rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.
