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VOLUME:115 No.11, DECEMBER 5TH, 2017

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

HEALTH: SANTA JOGGERS READY TO JINGLE ALL THE WAY

‘Sorry... I didn’t mean to kill her’ Court told of teen’s remorse over murder

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net THE teenager accused of murdering former Queen’s College elementary teacher Joyelle McIntosh in November 2015 said he was “sorry” and did not “mean to kill her” during his initial record of interview with police, Supreme Court jurors have heard.

Police Sergeant Jamal Evans, taking the witness stand before Justice Bernard Turner, said the teenager “appeared to have some remorse” when initially interviewed by himself on November 20,

2015 while at the Central Detective Unit (CDU).

“He said, ‘officer, I ain’t mean to kill her. I only shoot her like this,’” Sgt Evans told the court from the witness box. He said the teenager then proceeded to demonstrate with his hands how he shot the deceased on November 11, 2015.

According to Sgt Evans, the investigating officer in the matter, the teenager said he was with co-accused Johnny Mackey and Armando Sergeant on the night in question.

Sgt Evans said the teenager said he had a firearm SEE PAGE FIVE

SENIOR Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean attributes the recent downward trend in crime to the “grace of God” and the new crime-fighting initiatives of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

During a press conference held yesterday at RBPF headquarters, Senior ACP Dean was asked which

strategies have played a factor in the fact that there was only one murder in November.

He said: “I will say something first what is unpopular. I think God is with us in the country… the grace of God, I think, has helped us with this crime.

But more importantly, He has inspired some of us to use some initiatives.

SEE PAGE FIVE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net BAHAMIAN businesses and households were yesterday warned to “brace” for insurance premium increases of up to 15-20 per cent as a result of the 2017 hurricane season.

Property and casualty insurers warned of potentially “significant” rate increases as reinsurers sought compensation for storm-related losses in the US and Caribbean, and adjusted their pricing to reflect the increased severity and frequency of hurricanes. They added that they had ‘no choice’ but to pass costs to consumers.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

UNION GOES ‘LEGAL’ OVER GAMING JOBS

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Public Services Union is pursuing “legal action” against the Gaming Board for terminating some 30 people without consultation with the union.

In an interview with The Tribune, BPSU President Kingsley Ferguson said the union has hired a lawyer and is pursuing legal action against the government for refusing to reinstate the terminated employees.

GOOD PLANS - AND GOD - BEAT CRIME

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

INSURANCE RATES SET TO SOAR UP TO 20%

SEE PAGE THREE

QUEEN’s College held a celebration for Sir Durward Knowles to mark his 100th birthday with an opening ceremony to launch the Sir Durward Knowles Centenary Scholarship Fund, the unveiling of the QC monument in his Honour and the cutting of his birthday cake. See page nine for more.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

OFFICERS FORCE QC OUT OF DETENTION CENTRE

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY Fred Smith, QC, was physically removed from the Detention Centre yesterday morning, after he was blocked from seeing a client and “ignored” by Department of Immigration

supervisors.

In an interview after the incident, Mr Smith said he went to the Detention Centre off Carmichael Road at 10am to see his client, Jean-Rony JeanCharles, who he said has been detained since September.

SEE PAGE THREE

FRED Smith QC at the detention centre yesterday.

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

$250K LIMIT NOT OPEN DOOR FOR RESIDENCY

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net THE government’s decision to place the investment threshold of the Commercial Enterprises Bill to $250,000 was made to prevent a potential run on permanent residency status by investors, Attorney General Carl Bethel suggested in the Senate yesterday.

Noting the reality that many of the nation’s current economic policies guarantee any foreign investor of $500,000 or more the right to apply and be granted permanent residency, Mr Bethel fired back at critics SEE PAGE SIX

PAGE 2, Tuesday, December 5, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

GOVERNOR GENERAL TOURS HOSPITAL GOVERNOR General Dame Marguerite Pindling made her annual visit to Princess Margaret Hospital, paying her respects to staff and greeting patients as Christmas approaches.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/ Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 5, 2017, PAGE 3

Officers force QC out of detention centre

from page one On arrival, Mr Smith said he was given the run around after first being told to wait and then instructed to “make an appointment” at the Immigration Department on Hawkins Hill in order to see the detainee.

After exchanging words with immigration officers, Mr Smith was asked to leave the property.

Videos of the altercation went viral on social media.

In one video recorded by an official on the compound, Mr Smith is seen arguing with four immigration officers, one of whom asked him to leave the property and to not film on his cell phone. Mr Smith said he is not a security threat and asked why he can’t film on the compound when one officer grabbed his arm and told him to go to the main gate.

Mr Smith refused to leave and said he would have to be carried to the gate. This prompted the three officers to drag him off the property. At one point, Mr Smith breaks free of their grip and is seen tussling with the officers as they try to remove him from the property.

In another video, Mr Smith is shown shouting outside the compound’s gate at immigration officers asking to speak with a supervisor.

“I’m a lawyer and I was there to see my client.

He was born here at the Princess Margaret Hospital. He, like many other people, have been here for months if not years. I was there since 10am trying to see my client,” Mr Smith told reporters outside the compound.

“Anyone who is in custody has the right to see their lawyer. I went to see my client, the Defence Force was very respectful and cooperative but immigration will not let me see my client. I can go to Fox Hill prison and any police station and lawyers get to see their clients, but

FRED Smith QC being removed from the detention centre yesterday in this image made from video. apparently immigration is see someone in Fox Hill Symonette said no one can “just walk up to the Detenabove the law and they are Station.

“My client has a right tion Centre” and Mr Smith not responsible enough to allow people to see their to counsel. I was told to knows there is protocol go and I said ‘no’. Then I to be followed. He also clients.

“I call on the Attorney asked to see the supervi- questioned Mr Smith’s real General Carl Bethel, I call sor in charge. Hours later, motives for going to the on Brent Symonette, I call I still have not seen an holding centre because Mr on the prime minister to immigration officer to have Smith’s client is not at the bring immigration under a responsible conversation facility.

“A person cannot just control. Jean-Charles is with me about seeing my a Bahamian, he was born client. Immigration think walk up and walk in Fred Smith knows that. We are in the Bahamas. He has they are above the law.

“I hope responsible trying to find out what been here since September and they will not let me politicians start to get this happened there but since see him. When I went, I department under control. Mr Smith left, he hasn’t was told to wait and then I I was physically removed, returned. He was filmwas told I had to make grabbed by [two] immigra- ing his visit and it was a an appointment at Hawk- tion officers and expelled clever reason he did it,” Mr Symonette said. ins Hill. I don’t have to outside the gate.”

When contacted, Immi“The officers advised make an appointment at Central Police Station to gration Minister Brent me that the client he

went to see is not at the Detention Centre. I am investigating that further.

I was told when he was detained he had no identification and his alleged family produced a birth certificate a month afterwards. So, we are trying to verify whether he went to see this man or did not know he was not there.

He sent an email out at 10.35am and I heard about it and I was not in office.

He sent another email at 11.03am asking if someone from the government can help him long after the incident occurred.

“There are simple protocols that are established

UNION GOES ‘LEGAL’ OVER GAMING JOBS from page one

disclose anything else. We are still putting some things together, just in case the Mr Ferguson also government doesn’t come reiterated the Minnis to the table. If we reach administration has until the that point, we will take end of the week to rehire some action and we will be the employees or further fair.” “action” will be taken.

Last week, National ConAccording to the BPSU, gress of Trade Unions of the 17 employees, ranging from Bahamas (NCTUB) Presiadministrative assistants dent Bernard Evans called to revenue collectors and the terminations “shamemanagers, were terminated ful” and “embarrassing”. last week. Last month, He said: “While we have about 18 workers were sent allowed this to go on for home from the Gaming so long, this is enough.

Board.

You asked about timeline, Mr Ferguson said the the BPSU is mandated by BPSU has made attempts to law to allow the process, I communicate with Gaming believe it takes about seven Board and labour offi- days to go through the procials, but has not received cess, but certainly after that any sort of response or seven days all gloves are clarification. off.”

“We have had a converMr Evans added that sation with the Gaming labour groups were trying Board regarding the indus- to “restrain” themselves, trial agreement but we have but said the time is coming had no conversation as it for them to “protest and relates to the reinstatement protest loudly”. of those persons that were In response to the terterminated,” Mr Ferguson minations, Gaming Board said.

Chairman Kenyatta Gibson “So we have hired some- said last week some 30 one and we are pursuing employees were recently our legal recourse and we fired after a manpower will allow that to take its assessment of the overcourse. We have someone staffed agency. dealing with it, we have Mr Gibson said over the legal counsel andTuesday, I will not 5th Deceber 2017years, staff at the past four

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Gaming Board increased by 40 per cent. He also said the entity is focused on engaging persons with a certain skill set who can properly

regulate the gaming sector.

He said all those who were fired were paid “equitable and fair separation packages, with each and

every one of their entitlements having been dealt with in a very generous fashion.”

Mr Gibson said if any

visiting the Detention Centre. Mr Smith is well aware of those. If he is not prepared to follow the rules, he shouldn’t be surprised that he is not allowed access. This matter should not be played out in the press, it does not look good.

It is not a very good way to conduct business and the people that will suffer are his clients. He has a long history of publicising his activity in the press, which I suggest he try to find other avenues to achieve what he wants to do. He has my cell and email – I don’t appreciate being asked after the event to assist,” Mr Symonette added.

errors in separation payments were made, they would be corrected once brought to officials’ attention.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, December 5, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

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Too scared to face the truth HUMAN beings are amazing creatures of self-preservation. We have the innate ability to stare the truth right in the face and pretend it isn’t true. Or that it doesn’t matter. Or that it won’t happen the way they say it will or if it threatens us, someone will fix it just in time. We are just clever enough to deceive ourselves and believe our deceit.

That is exactly what we are doing with a dual threat, one that is undeniable, climate change, and one that is unthinkable, nuclear war sparked by an attack by North Korea. As abhorrent as the thought is, and as much as we want to deny it, North Korea’s most recent rocket launch scared experts and America’s tone publicly bordered on nonchalant quickly changed.

Our neighbour to the north got scared and reacted. Fighting words were followed by quiet scrambling for military action. But while that is taking place with the country we are so dependent upon for our number one industry and the goods we import, we in The Bahamas, are too scared to face the truth about the most pressing threat to our survival.

No matter how much we turn our back on it, we cannot deny the impending impact of climate change. With dire predictions that up to 80 percent of The Bahamas could be underwater, few nations have more to lose than we do.

Yet, we act as if it is business as usual.

It is not as though we were not warned. Former US Vice President Al Gore spelled it out in his award-winning documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” in 2006. Did we listen? Only a handful did at first, then the numbers grew and today it is unfathomable that there are those who still harbour doubt in the face of the growing body of evidence presented and documented by organisations as respected as National Geographic and NASA. Sea level rise along with warming water and air temperatures are combining to cause life-changing differences to come barreling toward us faster than we expected.

Here is what we have to face: climate change is changing our world at a faster rate than even early believers projected. The Arctic Resilience Report found Arctic sea ice declining at a rate of 13.2% percent per decade. That is the area as far north as you can go. In Antarctica, nearly 5.4 million square miles or as large as the continental USA and Mexico combined, at the southern end of the earth, is warming at an alarming rate as its average two-mile deep ice sheets decline and tumble into the surrounding waters. “The warning signals are getting louder,” writes Marcus Carson of the Stockholm Environment Institute and one of the authors of the Resilience Report which concluded that there is “uncontrollable climate change at a global level”.

Therese Turner-Jones, Inter-American Development Bank General Manager Country Department Caribbean, told it straight and within earshot of the Prime Minister at a recent conference in Nassau. The Bahamas, she said,

was at serious risk if sea level rises by just one meter (approx. 3.3 feet).

The cost to rebuild, she said, could be between $17 and $19 billion. The scariest part is what we would lose, according to the IDB, 36 percent of our major tourism properties, 38 percent of our airports, 20 percent of our seaports and 14 percent of our road network.

Of course, we could just ignore it and continue to do what we are so good at, denial. Too scared to face the truth, we look the other way and hope someone else will fix it.

Repeating the Call for a Mayor for Nassau Speaking of fixing it, The Tribune repeats its call for a mayor or city manager for the city of Nassau. Here, from our editorial that ran shortly after the 2017 election, we repeat an excerpt and accompany it with a plea to provide a serious measure of autonomy for the city of Nassau, including the right to collect business licence fees and real property taxes that now go to the Public Treasury. Or, we can do as we are with climate change and continue to ignore the reality of what is happening. From May 30, 2017: While a mostly jubilant public is still congratulating itself, gloating over the vote to throw out the reigning PLP like a 78 rpm vinyl record missing its cover, the clock is ticking quietly and dangerously on one of the most critical issues of the day. We are not talking about crime. Or education. Or moving toward a balanced budget, albeit all are critical and must be addressed with urgency.

We are talking about a critical issue that for too long has received too little attention. The heart of the city of Nassau, the heartbeat of the nation.

Once a thriving mini-metropolis with dining and clubs, high-end shops and financial fervor, Nassau today is a sad and dirty shadow of its former self. In a window next to where a $60,000 crystal table once stood, there is now a sign offering three t-shirts for $9.99. Where Mademoiselle’s headquarters buzzed as the house of fashion, a second storey wooden balcony railing is rotting. Just off the main street, derelict buildings stare back with blown-out windows and roofs, glaring eyesores. The magnificent mahogany and olive trees that dotted the street are struggling to survive.

There are remnants of Bay Street’s beauty. The good bones of Nassau’s historic architectural treasures so frequently mentioned by the late Jackson Burnside are still there, but they are shrinking, replaced by large glass panes and concealed behind garish signs.

Notable treasures survive. Dignity remains intact at John Bull where soft sounds emanate from the grand piano in the gallery and a sense of style never seems to go out of style. Up the hill at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas and on West Hill Street with the Graycliff spin-off crafts and museum, the art of the possible portrays a canvas of hope...

Bahamasair EDITOR, The Tribune.

BAHAMASAIR - yes we are proud that Bahamasair is safe, but should the executives on November 15th, with the much fanfared flight to Houston simply forget they had a scheduled jet service to Ft Lauderdale that morning as the Bahamasair Houston “freebee’ was flying out and then returning keeping Nassau passengers waiting some four to five hours?

To top that, there were passengers waiting at Ft Lauderdale who could not get any information out of Bahamasair as to why there was the delay and how long was the delay – great

customer relations, but who cares it seems Bahamasair is safe if eventually you get to your destination.

If a US airline had done that the FAA would have fined them millions but all that happens here is praise from the Chief possibly he didn’t know but sure the Chairman of Bahamasair might have – a past Minister of Tourism – Tommy ‘T’ Turnquest.

The Prime Minister’s comments reported in another place, quote: ‘I was elated to see you went to Houston’ great, Editor, leaving 100 odd in Nassau - Ft Lauderdale passengers waiting for the freebee Houston flight to return and

another 100 or so waiting at Ft Lauderdale in fact the 2.05pm flight arrived LPIA at 6pm - great PR-fantastic customer service Mr Prime Minister. No assistance offered, period.

Try running an airline with this policy - safe or not!

Heads should roll on that decision it was clearly deliberate and who cares we are on a political mission screw the fare paying passengers in Nassau and Ft Lauderdale. There was a serious investor waiting for that flight, guess now?

W THOMPSON Nassau, December 1, 2017.

Falling behind our competition EDITOR, The Tribune.

THEY say “Don’t mind the noise in the market, only mind the price of the fish”. Reading the comments on Tribune242 relative to my interview with Neil Hartnell indicates that the whole story has not been told.

I have already stated that the only key to our survival in The Bahamas is to level the playing field in terms of our competition. Whether that competition is in our tourist industry (stopover) or financial services, or ultimately nanotechnology.

Our nearby competition is Turks & Caicos, Jamaica & The Cayman Islands.

Bermuda to a lesser extent.

Other than Jamaica which is where we are likely headed, unless we do something very soon, the other three have one thing in common and that is the bridle of UK financial oversight.

When we left that in 1973, we had no debt and in fact had money in the bank.

Government’s direct debt is presumably being financed by the taxes that it imposes on businesses operating here via Business License and Value Added Tax. BEC/BPL seem to be seeking to finance its 50 years of mismanagement and bad management through surcharges on the people and businesses that currently buy power from them.

(That’s everybody).

It has been said many times before but in the context of the Commerce Bill, how can a hotel in The Bahamas, paying BEC/BPL debt inflated rates compete

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net with its counterpart in Providenciales or Grand Cayman or even Jamaica?

And our hotel employees go home when their shift ends and pay the same BEC/BPL debt inflated rates and so they need more money per hour than their brothers and sisters in Providenciales, Grand Cayman and Jamaica. And if that isn’t enough, hotel and restaurant consumables are whapped by exorbitant customs duty, stamp tax and VAT. So while Atlantis may be able to compete with Baha Mar and vice versa, they are both unable to compete with hotels in other jurisdictions. And so they resort to cutting rates, and giving rooms away, and that puts pressure on wages at all levels and the spiral continues like the whirlpool in your tub when you let the water out.

While we as a country have overspent and seemingly continue to be doing, and have created this profligate debt, we have to find a way of minimising its impact on businesses, be they locally owned or foreign. I can appreciate that the US can simply print more money when it reduces its own taxes, as it is doing now, but clearly the thrust of what they are doing is to make business in America more profitable, in the hope and belief that these businesses will expand and make the American Pie much larger

than it is, and thereby deliver more lower taxes to the treasury that it currently gets.

There is no question in my mind that these business disablers are the real problem and if we could just put them in a box for a couple of years we might be able to get our collective noses above the rising water.

I would like to add that IPBS development continues in The Bahamas under the original business name, and is and has been staffed totally by Bahamian software developers. Many Bahamian developers have gone through this Company and on to greater things, so I don’t see a need for these skills per se, as we already have them, and I would match them with any similar level developers from anywhere in the world. We do need people to come in with ideas and development projects and money that will soak up this talent, however.

The Government of the Bahamas might also condescend to offer some of its IT projects to local developers.

I constantly hear of the multimillion dollar contracts, signed with developers from who knows where, and the Bahamian developers never get a bite at their own cherry. And I have been in this business for about fifty years now. I must say in this context though that I did do some work for Ministry of Tourism some years ago when the late Chris Birch was a consultant for them.

BRUCE G. RAINE Nassau, December 3, 2017.

Work ethic EDITOR, The Tribune.

Re: ONE YEAR DEADLINE TO HAND OVER FOREIGN JOBS. The Tribune, December 1, 2017

IF necessary, the foreigners’ training of many Bahamians for CEB jobs within a deadline of one year should be relatively easy - but it may take a bit longer

to successfully instil an acceptable work ethic into some employees.

KEN W KNOWLES, MD Nassau, December 2, 2017.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 5, 2017, PAGE 5

‘Sorry... I didn’t mean to kill her’ from page one in his possession while on Parkgate Road, and that they wanted to carry out a robbery.

Sgt Evans said the teenager confirmed that Mackey lay down in the road, while he hid himself from view. The teenager said he saw a silver coloured car approach and subsequently slow down, and then used his hands to demonstrate how he shot at the car.

Sgt Evans said the teenager claimed he later learned a woman had died as a result of his actions, and said he was sorry for the incident. During the interview, Sgt Evans said the teenager appeared remorseful, and said he “wanted to get it off his chest”.

Before the interview, Sgt Evans said, officers made contact with a local pastor as well as a Social Services employee to sit in on the interview after several attempts failed to contact the teen’s mother.

Matrena Carey, the Social Services employee who sat in on the interview, said she witnessed an oral statement given by the teenager during the initial record of interview.

She said while she couldn’t remember exactly what he said, the teenager indicated one of the people with him on the night in question lay down in the road, while he hid behind a “big tree”.

She said the teenager said he ended up shooting the deceased in the process of trying to take her car.

The testimonies by Sgt Evans and Ms Carey

marked the end of the Crown’s case against the three accused in the trial concerning the 2015 crime.

In yesterday’s proceedings, the three accused each opted to waive their right to remain silent and take the witness stand, thus opening themselves up to questions from the Crown, the defence, the jury and the court if need be.

The teenager intends to call five witnesses to his defence, according to his attorney Sonia Timothy. Sergeant’s attorney David Cash said his client intends to call three or four witnesses, while Mackey intends to call no witnesses.

The trial continues today.

Yesterday proceedings were the latest in the murder trial of the fourthgrade teacher on the night of November 2015.

It is alleged the teenager,

who was 17 at the time of the incident, along with Mackey and Sergeant, attempted to rob McIntosh at gunpoint of her 2009 silver coloured Toyota Corolla worth $6,000.

It is alleged that during the failed carjacking, the victim was shot multiple times in her head and body.

She later crashed into a wall at the intersection of Parkgate and Village Roads and died of her injuries at the scene.

All three have denied the allegations.

Last week, however, Police Detective Sergeant Kendra Wallace said the teenager admitted to shooting the fourth-grade teacher when initially interviewed.

Det Sgt Wallace, who assisted Sgt Evans in the interviewing of the three accused, said the teenager made his initial confession

to a Social Services employee in the presence of herself and the interviewing officer after alerting the officers that he needed to “get something off his chest”.

At the time, Det Sgt Wallace said the teenager, in speaking with the Social Services employee in the presence of both herself and the interviewing officer, said he felt bad about what he did and only did it because he wanted to steal the car McIntosh was driving.

Det Sgt Wallace said the teenager again confessed to committing the crime at the start of the actual record of interview, but denied participating in the interview process on the advice of his attorney.

Additionally, Det Sgt Wallace said the teenager’s co-accused, in their records

of interview on November 18, 2015, told officers the teenager was the one who shot McIntosh.

Det Sgt Wallace said Mackey - was the individual lying in the middle of Parkgate Road on the night in question, thus causing McIntosh to swerve to avoid hitting him - admitted he did so but said it was because he caught a “cramp.”

Meanwhile, Sergeant, she said, admitted to having knowledge of the offence but denied shooting the deceased. According to Det Sgt Wallace, Sergeant said he saw when Mackey dropped to the ground and said he knew it would be a robbery.

As the car approached, he said the teenager approached and subsequently shot the deceased.

The trial continues.

GOOD PLANS - AND GOD - BEAT CRIME

from page one

“I can tell you since our creation of the Anti-Gang and Firearms Unit, we have seen some inroads because they had specific assignments to target some self-proclaimed gang leaders and gang members or persons who are known to be involved in trafficking of firearms and armed robberies. We have been targeting these persons, paying some attention to them, using all of our resources in their direction.

“You have seen some of the results. And we have intentionally floated out to media the firearms that we’ve recovered, the high-powered weapons that we have seen. And so we have a lot of ongoing investigations of a number of persons. It wouldn’t be surprising that you will see a number of persons being hauled before the courts or being brought into police custody for firearms trafficking. So we are doing a number of work around all these areas…You see a number of police operations are going on, (we are increasing) our operations— day, night, weekly, around the clock.

“So we feel that based on the strategy that we have put in place, based on the plans laid by this commissioner… we’ve been able to reap some dividends.

But we are not resting on our laurels. That is why we are speaking on crime prevention today… we don’t want to brag, but if we see that you are doing a good job, you are doing a good job. And I think that things are working. We see the statistics— and they don’t lie. Things are trending downward.

“We hope that we can hold the homicides, and go into 2018 looking how we are leaving (2017). And we feel good about the prospects for next year… It looks good, based on the strategies that we have in place.”

Minister of National Security Marvin Dames and Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis have both recently said overall crime is trending down. Despite frequent police reports of shootings and armed robberies, only one homicide was recorded in November – an anomaly this year.

However, murders are up overall by 17 percent, according to The Tribune’s records. Up to press time,

there were 118 murders so far this year compared with 101 as of December 4, 2016, according to this newspaper’s records.

Senior ACP Dean added: “But what we see increasingly more is the involvement of the Bahamian public. The calls that come in, the tips that come in, that is helping us round the clock. We are getting the calls… that [are] helping so we are able to close up some cases. Those tips are helping to put the puzzles together.

“Even with the CrimeStoppers (hotline), we are getting anonymous calls running to CrimeStoppers, that is helping us. But behind the scenes, I’m (going to) tell you, the best defence we can get is from the Bahamian public. When they give us the support telling us where the firearms are, who the traffickers are, who is involved in drugs.

So a number of things are happening on the road to contribute to what we’re talking about.”

Last month, during a presentation to the Rotary Club of West Nassau, Senior ACP Dean outlined six police strategies or initiatives that the RBPF has

SENIOR Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean. implemented to enhance its crime-fighting capabilities. These include the Anti-Gang and Firearms Unit, the Flying Squad, the Rapid Response Unit,

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

the Anti-Corruption Unit, Enhanced Ballistic Capabilities, and the use of an eTrace system to track the sale and origin of weapons.

Anyone with information

related to a crime is asked to call police at 919 or CrimeStoppers at 328-TIPS (8477) on New Providence or 1-242-300-8476 (Family Islands).

HOW TO STAY SAFE THROUGH THE HOLIDAY SEASON

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

THE Royal Bahamas Police Force held a press conference yesterday to advise members of the public on safety tips for the holiday season, urging people not to carry around large sums of cash, wear flashy jewellery or shop alone at night.

Superintendent Shanta Knowles urged business owners to secure their operations and, if necessary, hire reputable security firms during the busy shopping period.

“With that being said we ask you to please, do not keep large sums of cash in your cash registers or your cash tins,” she said. “Make frequent deposits as you go through the day, and especially during the night when you’re closed, do not keep large sums of money in your safe or on your premises…

If you don’t have surveillance systems, it’s a good idea to have them installed on your premises and for those that do have them, to make sure that they are in operation.

“If you have plans or safety measures, ensure that your staff knows exactly what it is that your plans are and how they should go about executing them should they need to. And as members of the public go about shopping, we are asking you to again not carry so much cash with you. Limit your cash, if possible use debit cards and credit cards and if for some reason those are misplaced or stolen, reach out to your

financial institution as soon as possible. Those things can be replaced.”

Senior Assistant of Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean also spoke to business owners, saying police are concerned about large sums of cash being left at premises overnight, only to have the business robbed.

“So we are continuing to look at that (trend),” Senior ACP Dean said. “At the same time, we are asking businesspersons to look at the persons that they hire.

Get a background check on these persons. Know your employees who you have working with you. Because we don’t want to have the implications of an inside job or inside robberies. Criminals will try to approach some employees to try to hold up the place or rob them of large sums of cash. “(Additionally), business persons seek this time to hire police officers for private engagement. And what we are (telling) all business persons is that you cannot approach an officer to ask him to work for you. You must write directly to the commissioner of police to get that permission for any police officer to work at your business place. And the only way an officer works there is that it must be approved by the commissioner of police. It is an offence, for the officer who is found working at that place, of being unauthorised. It is an offence, by law, for the business persons who have hired these persons or who facilitate these officers to be at a place without proper authority or

going through the proper channels explained today.”

Representatives from the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) also issued a stern warning to merchants and businesses which increase their prices for goods and services during this time of the year. This includes contractors and painters.

To the public, Superintendent Knowles also said: “Wear as little jewellery as possible. Leave the expensive jewellery at home or somewhere in a secure place. Do not travel with large bags or be overloaded with bags.

“You want to make sure that you have as few big parcels as possible so that if you are approached you would be able to defend yourself from any would-be attackers. This is especially important in the busy shopping malls and at bus stops.

We know that this kind of time during the year, these crooks work in groups so one will distract you while the other steals from you. So you need to be aware of that.

“Again, we ask you to try not to shop at nighttime. But if you do, shop with others. This is for safety reasons, like we say, and don’t even walk at nighttime. Try to walk in groups. Be aware of where you park your vehicles at these malls. Look for welllit areas, and if you need to return to your vehicles and you are somehow afraid, reach out to security officers who may be in that area, and ask them to escort you to your vehicles.

“We ask you not to put packages, your valuables,

on the seats of your cars.

Instead, secure them in your trunks or even take them home. And when they are home do not let them be displayed to the public.

Close your windows and your blinds so that persons who are passing the street won’t see them, and have an opportunity…to get into your homes,” she said.

In acknowledging that crime is a public concern and reiterating the police are working to combat it, Senior ACP Dean also said: “The reality is that this is the time when a lot of our citizens get very lax. They get in that festive mood and everybody lets their guard down, the guard that they would have up all year.”

Senior ACP Dean said police will be out in full force doing road checks and patrols this holiday season.

“We want people to be happy around this time of the year…[But] from the police perspective, we can rest assured that we are streaming down on all our office spaces, those persons who [don’t usually do] frontline policing work, they will be on the road. From senior command all the way down to Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson have mandated all commanders and department heads that they release all those persons to increase the patrols and police presence on the road.”

“We want to reassure the public that…we know some of the persons who tend to get involved with criminal acts around this time of the year, there are some

prolific offenders who use this occasion. But we have all of them targeted, and we can tell the public that some of them are already in prison for a long time. So a number of them wouldn’t be out this time to continue with those acts.

“We will be out there in full force…we will increase those road checks, so residents in some cases may feel a level of inconvenience, but that is necessary to find those persons that are travelling in stolen vehicles…While we are talking about this, make sure your vehicles are secured too.

Because we don’t want people leaving their vehicles unattended (so) you

could get the vehicle stolen.

Know your tag numbers.

“If you are buying a number of expensive jewellery items, please get serial number of these items, that is important for us. But most of all we can (assure) the public that we would target those persons. Over the past months and weeks we have been pulling a lot of persons into custody, particularly those persons with firearms, we have been targeting them, because firearms are used in most of these cases.”

“We want to have a good Christmas…when we look at 50 per cent of our crimes, they can be prevented should we take the necessary precautions.”

RELOCATION NOTICE Dr. Bimal Francis Cardiologist Will now be working from

Hawkins Hill, Medical Plaza

For Appointments: 242-356-9146/7 242-356-9100

Email: info@cvibahamas.com

PAGE 6, Tuesday, December 5, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Govt to map out areas at risk from hurricanes

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Minnis administration has made it a priority to map out areas in the country most vulnerable to devastation from future hurricanes nearly three months after Hurricane Irma devastated several islands of the Bahamas, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday.

The government, he said, is also building capacity in the Family Islands to allow for quick responses in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.

Speaking during the official opening of the 10th Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) Conference at the Melia hotel, the prime minister said countries in the region must press, via CARICOM, for assistance that was promised by developed countries to mitigate against the effects of climate change.

“Here in The Bahamas, our NEMA (National Emergency Management Agency) team met with CDEMA (Caribbean Disaster Emergency

DAMAGE in Bimini after Hurricane Irma.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff Management Agency) Islands and working to bring great risk of climate change, coordinating units to dis- communities to a point we must develop new mindcuss the country’s work where they can respond as sets and protocols in this programme and its align- quickly as possible in the era of super storms. ment with national goals immediate aftermath of a “By example, because of identified in the regional disaster including logistical the projected path of HurriCaribbean Disaster Man- capacity.” cane Irma and the potential Earlier in his address, Dr destruction, the Bahamas agement strategy,” Dr Minnis told conference Minnis also said: “Tropical government instituted an storms are likely to bring emergency evacuation to participants.

“Our priorities are map- higher wind speeds, more New Providence for the ping out vulnerable areas precipitation and bigger residents of several islands and community prepar- storm surge in the coming and communities. This was edness. We are building decades. As small island the greatest such evacucapacity in our Family developing states, we are at ation . . . in the history of

The Bahamas.

“As a region, we must continue to press through CARICOM the alliance of small island states, the United Nations and other international forums for the promised assistance from developing countries to help countries in our region to mitigate against the effects of climate change overwhelmingly caused by developed countries.

“We are constantly reminded that the countries in our region are located in one of the most hurricane prone areas in the world.

The risk we face threatens our fragile economies and demands that we have in place sound disaster risk management systems. We must continue to build disaster resilient communities through partnerships for resilience.”

Ahead of Irma’s arrival, some residents of MICAL, Ragged Island and Bimini were evacuated into New Providence. Some outlying areas of Grand Bahama were also evacuated into inland communities.

In the days following Hurricane lrma’s passage, The Tribune was told the

government incurred costs of about $1.5m.

The sum was said to cover air transport and shelters.

However, The Tribune was told in September a final tally was not yet available as the figure was still rising.

The government has said restoration efforts following Hurricane Irma will cost the country “tens of millions”.

Earlier this year, National Emergency Management Agency Director Captain Stephen Russell reported that half-a-million dollars had been spent on evacuation and repatriation exercises.

He said the agency had conducted some 23 flight commissions, with about 1,400 people evacuated by the government.

Capt Russell estimated that about 1,000 of them had been repatriated by the government to their island, with some using their own expenses to return to their home.

He said restoration efforts that involve rebuilding people’s homes is unsustainable, and it may be time to find a new formula.

$250K LIMIT NOT OPEN DOOR FOR RESIDENCY

from page one

who slammed the $250,000 threshold as “bottom feeding” and “prostitution,” insisting the CEB aims only to encourage investment and not accelerate consideration for residency.

The issue has acted as a thorn for the CEB since its introduction, with many opposing the bill building their cases against it around the notion that the bill’s threshold was far too low to encourage significant and lasting investments.

Expounding on the government’s decision yesterday, Mr Bethel said the government did not want the issue of the initial capital investment made by a foreigner under the CEB to become “mixed up and tangled up” with issues such as permanent

residency or economic permanent residency.

“All this bill speaks to is the capital requirements for a non-Bahamian to start a business, and get work permits; not permanent residency,” he told the Senate.

Additionally, Mr Bethel said the CEB intends to address the various declines experienced in the financial services sector over the past two decades.

Mr Bethel said there has been a “consequential loss” of banks offering what he referred to as staple business, that once provided the bulk of the Bahamas’ financial services sector.

He said the CEB was conceived as a way to address the loss of traditional business by providing a way to attract new and diversified enterprises to relocate and establish in

The Bahamas.

Moreover, he said the CEB was eyed by the Minnis administration as a way to re-attract those larger, more labour intensive, non-tax sensitive, financial services which were once in The Bahamas, but were lost as a result of unfortunate missteps or bad policy decisions of former governments.

Mr Bethel stated: “Members opposite may well oppose this bill based on their notions of how the Bahamianisation policy worked, but I respectfully assert that this bill is in full accord with the Bahamianisation policy: which policy has always been subject to and acknowledged the need for allowing businesses which perform services for which Bahamians were untrained to locate in The Bahamas on favourable

terms, obtain work permits, and also train Bahamians so that, over time, Bahamians came to have greater roles even at the highest levels of senior management in these businesses.”

Mr Bethel said the Bahamianisation policy was crafted to protect those areas where Bahamians dominated, while encouraging the acquisition of skills absent in the country.

He said: “The best example of this is the insurance sector. When, 40 to 50 years ago, Bahamians could probably be brokers or agents, do home service walking from door to door to collect a little $10 or $15 monthly contribution to your policy. But now, Bahamians own every major brokerage in this country, brokers and agencies

owned by Bahamians. We services, who is the mover also now own insurance of the bill before us today companies.” was a part of the Free Meanwhile, oppo- National Movement team sition Senator at that time and despite Michael Darville called the international presfor a complete revision of sures facing our small open the CEB, calling the legis- economy the Free National lation both “rushed” and Movement decided to “forced”. shelve the bill.”

The former MP for PinMr Darville said the shoe eridge claimed the was now on the other foot, government passed the bill and warned the governin the lower chamber with ment that if it does indeed little to no consultation pass the CEB, the next PLP from the business commu- government would repeal nity and the people of the upon being elected.

Bahamas. “(The PLP has) clearly Mr Darville stated: stated that we would repeal “Madame President, in the this new bill when given the lower chamber, both the opportunity if it is passed in official leader of the oppo- its current form, simply sition, as well as the deputy because we believe it will of the Progressive Liberal liberalise the granting of Party, insisted that this piece work permits to foreigners of legislation, along with its operating in these commercurrent amendments should cial zones, which could be withdrawn, and sent hamper employment out for wider consultation opportunities for young with the Bahamian people, Bahamian professionals professional bodies and all in these specialised zones, local industries that could Brent Symonette is calling be affected by the liber- our position regressive and alisation of work permits in xenophobic. This is far from these proposed commercial the truth, and only proves economic zones, through- how hypocritical and out out the country.” of touch the minister really He continued: “Madame is.”

President, for the sake of Lastly, Mr Darville said accountability and trans- he could not support a bill parency, I am asking the that disregards the thougovernment to do the sands of Bahamians who honourable thing, and work hard each day, play by withdraw this bill today, the rules, and put their best until there is wider consul- foot forward when trying tation with the Bahamian to achieve the Bahamian people. dream, only to have their “Madame President, his- dreams bought, or even tory would reflect that in given away by way of tax 1991, the Progressive Lib- concessions. eral Party, led by the father He stated: “Madame of our nation, the late Right President, among the Honourable Sir Lynden many questions still left Oscar Pindling presented unanswered after readto Parliament an Act ing the bill are: Where are to encourage the estab- the concessions for Bahalishment, conduct and mian small and medium expansion of commercial sized businesses? Where enterprises and investment will these so-called comin design commercial enter- mercial enterprise zones prise zones throughout the be? We want details Commonwealth of The not lip service. How Bahamas, by granting of many Bahamians will be certain exemptions and employed because of this fiscal incentives to persons bill? Do companies have to engaged in such enterprises meet quotas? How do we or investments. control companies oper“This act which I under- ating these zones from stand is on the books but providing services too? was never brought into “Bahamian companies force, set out to create com- operating outside of these mercial enterprise zones commercial economic throughout The Bahamas, zones? Who will police the including East and West activities of these persons?

Grand Bahama.

What about VAT and con“Madame President, cessions in these zones? unlike this bill, the 1991 bill Will companies doing busihad nothing to do with the ness with each other in liberalisation of work per- these economic zones be mits for foreign nationals exempted from VAT?” Mr operating in these economic Darville continued: “Why is zones, and the Progressive the Cabinet not responsible Liberal Party went on to for determining the zones, debate that piece of legisla- as opposed to the ministion, which was later passed ter? What about Bahamian in both chambers. business owners outside “I understand that the of the zones, how do they current minister of financial benefit?”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 5, 2017, PAGE 7

‘Progress’ toward hospital A&E department upgrade DESPITE numerous challenges at the Princess Margaret Hospital, progress is being made toward the launch of the expansion and upgrading of the Accident & Emergency Department, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands has announced.

He made the remarks when Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling made her annual visit to PMH on Friday.

“This major project will not only expand examination and treatment areas within this critical department, but it will enhance the patient experience in our nation’s busiest emergency room by improving privacy, expanding public and patient waiting areas, upgrading restrooms and ensuring that public facilities are handicapable and fully accessible,” Dr Sands said.

“Triage and registration areas will be upgraded and the ambulance bay will be redeveloped to enhance the smooth transition from prehospital to hospital-based emergency care.

“Likewise, improvement works to the Corey Newbold Ward, and Male Surgical Wards I & II, remain priority projects for this fiscal year, allowing for the reinstitution of some 45-beds in the hospitals bed capacity.

“Additionally, expanding and upgrading this area will enhance the hospital’s maternal and child health services, improve the care delivered to mothers during labour and delivery as well as improve the hospital experience for patients and their families.

“Progress is also being made to the hospital’s diagnostic imaging departments with the completion of upgrades and improvement works to ensure the installation

MINISTER of Health Dr Duane Sands.

“These conditions can of state of the art X-ray frustrate patients seeking equipment.”

During the tour, Dr Sands care as well as increase the acknowledged the “signifi- demands on staff at every cant challenges” plaguing level to overcome the attenthe hospital, noting bed dant challenges,” Dr Sands shortages, an aging physical said.

“I am well aware that plant, floor space and high to consistently patient volumes are critical having make such herculean concerns.

efforts to accomplish what, in other circumstances, might be considered routine can strain even the most compassionate heart and impact the morale of even the most dedicated public servant.

“Yet even in the face of these challenges, I am

confident that we are in a position to meet and overcome the difficulties facing the institution as we continue to provide quality care to Bahamians and their families.

PMH family, believe me when I tell you, the full weight of my office

supports you as you work to improve, modernise and redevelop every area of the Princess Margaret Hospital.”

Dame Marguerite will also tour Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre this week as part of her annual holiday tour.

SPEED ‘A COMMON TREND’ AFTER SPATE OF FATAL CRASHES

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

SPEED appears to be a “common trend” in the six traffic fatalities that occurred on the weekend, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean said yesterday, however he added all of the incidents had not yet been analysed.

“There [were] six accidents over the weekend which raise some concerns in our country…. While we have not analysed all of these accidents, there are implications that speed seems to be a common trend in all of [them],” he said during a press conference at police headquarters.

“We are asking persons to pay attention while

driving, particularly around this time of the year. People are going to have a lot to drink, and we are asking them to be responsible. You could be a good driver…but the minute you slip to look at your cell phone, [an accident can occur]. So we have to avoid the cell phone, the distraction.

“And we still see persons driving with little children…in their laps as they ride around. That’s a no-no. Make sure persons are secured in your vehicles, their seat belts are on.

We implore people to be careful, be patient, if you have to go places, take your time. A lot of these [speeding incidents] happen late in the night; people leave these nightclubs, or leave

from the outings, the parties, and believe they’re in the right frame of mind after drinking, and they take these highways, take these roads with a high rate of speed, with no consideration for [anyone] else. And things do happen. Out of nowhere, a crash happens.

“So we [are] asking people to be responsible, be alert, around this Christmas time.”

Police have identified three of the six traffic fatality victims. The man who died on Sunday morning after his car crashed into a lamp pole on Eastern Road has been identified as Drazen Desmond Johnson, 24, of Eastwood Estates.

The two men who died near a race track on

Corridor 7 near Government High School on Sunday evening have been identified as Omar Wallace Forbes, 20, of Carmichael Road and Jonas Petite,

19, of Key West Street.

This incident involved an accident between a black Honda and a motorcycle shortly before 6pm. As a result of the accident,

the motorcycle driver and his passenger died at the scene. The driver of the Honda was not injured and remained on the scene to assist police.

Death Notice Louisa Athelinda Cartwright, 85 of Treasure Cove, Nassau, The Bahamas, died at her home on Thursday, 30th November, 2017.

She is predeceased by her daughter KathyAnn Marie Gomez.

She is survived by her husband, Leon A. Cartwright; her sister, Violet Knowles; her sons, Andrew and Stephen Cartwright and daughter, Arlene Thronebury; daughtersin-law, Laurie and Rhonda Cartwright; sons-in-law, Ronald Thronebury and Carlos Gomez; grandchildren: Christopher and Jonathan Thronebury, Tara Love, Alexis Minnis, Lauren Eldon, Kelly Lambrigger, Ryan and Nathan Cartwright, Isabella and Daniella Gomez; granddaughters-in-law, Eirene and Amy Thronebury and soon to be Christine NeilCartwright; grandsons-in-law, Glen Minnis, Renato Lambrigger, Christopher Eldon and Brian Love; great grandchildren, Asher, Reuven, Gabriel, Eden and Shiloh Minnis, William and Sophie Thronebury, Stella Thronebury and Charlie Louisa Eldon and many other relatives and friends including Angela Treco, Maitlyn Jones, Meryl Knowles, Randolph Knowles, Norma and Burton (Chuck) Knowles, Jean Knowles, Betty Knowles, Lillian Beaman, Rosie Thrower, Sandra Bethel, Cloltilda Williams, Bequesa Albury, Saint Mathews church family and a host of other family and friends.

A special thanks to the Caregivers: Edison Dela Cruz, Nurse Wring and her nursing staff, Dr. Duvaughn Curling, Dr. Margo Monroe and Dr. Arlington Lightbourne.

YOUR

CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019

A Funeral service will be held at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Church and Shirley Streets, Nassau, on, Saturday, 9th December, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Saint Mathew’s Anglican Church, P.O. Box N. 963, Nassau in memory Mrs. Louisa A. Cartwright.

Arrangements Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, December 5, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Safeguards being put in place before tax-free zone rollout

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net GENTRIFICATION, fraud and conflicts-ofinterests are threats to the government’s innercity tax-free zone plan that experts are aiming to create safeguards against before the policy’s rollout next year, Dr Nicola Virgill-Rolle, head of the Economic Planning Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister, said yesterday.

That unit is tasked with putting meat on the bones of the key policy Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has repeatedly foreshadowed in recent weeks.

Last year, Dr Minnis said Bahamians who live and invest in inner-city areas will be exempt from paying customs duties on imported materials, from real property tax, business licence and other taxes and they will pay reduced customs duties on vehicles certified for business.

Gowon Bowe, president of the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA), said yesterday the devil will be in the details of the plan.

“You have to be very careful you don’t have unintended consequences because of the secretive nature of some of the information up to this point,” he said.

“Saying you having inner-city tax concessions and other economic

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis pictured yesterday.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff stimuli, that’s only a head- saying that, what does that line or header; it’s not mean: does it mean estabinner workings or inner lishing businesses that will details. What has been cater only to that commucommunicated is they want nity or other ones as well? a programme to stimu- Is it about repopulation in late economic activity in terms of quality housing the urban areas. If you’re and safer environments

that would create new living spaces and change inner-city culture? Or is it simply a desire to have more funds flowing into the communities?

“All of those have attendant risks and opportunities that can be taken advantage of. What is the objective and what is the cost of doing so?

Do you determine whether it should solely be in the inner-city of New Providence or should it be in the less developed Family Islands as well? It’s a lofty aspiration but like much promises the devil is in the details,” Mr Bowe said.

Since Dr Minnis’ initial announcement of the zone, debate has centred on whether it will cause gentrification, the displacement of poorer residents as neighbourhoods are revitalised and renovated.

Dr Virgill-Rolle admitted yesterday gentrification is an issue technocrats will have to address.

She said: “As we looked at the work, we said what could be some of the key issues we have to think about? Gentrification, displacement, is one of those things we said – with smart policy you can ensure that the public policy around this does not allow for displacement. “We’re making sure safeguards are in place as we look through the legislation so that this would be a community effort and people who have been there, who reside there are the ones that come first in

this particular initiative.”

The unit is also in the process of analysing the cost of loss revenue from the creation of the tax-free zone, a matter Mr Bowe said will be crucial.

“When you speak about what the government has at its disposal and if it’s a plan restricted to tax concessions,” Mr Bowe said, “the only real tax is our consumption taxes: customs, VAT, real property and business licence fees.

If there are going to be a certain level of tax concessions granted what is the expected cost in terms of revenue loss as we look to fulfill our requirements?”

On the potential affects the policy could have on the national deficit, Dr Virgill-Rolle said her unit is working with the Ministry of Finance to make sure what it proposes makes good sense economically.

“We’re undertaking getting the data behind the amount of taxes generated and the tradeoffs from that as you think about incentives as well so you can prepare a well-researched proposal on the tax incentives around this economic empowerment,” she said.

“We’ve been gathering data about who is in this community, which is bordered on Nassau Street going to Poinciana and Wulff Road and then West Avenue coming straight up and then sort of an imaginary line coming from Meeting Street.

We’re

really focused on understanding what is in this area, the businesses, the residential houses and getting a full account of that from the Department of Statistics.

We’re working with Inland Revenue, understanding the tax revenue generated from that so that as we make proposals we do that from a place of evidence and backing.”

As for other challenges, Dr Virgill-Rolle said the unit is safeguarding against potential fraud so “the people who are there are the ones who are benefitting as well.” “(We are guarding against) any conflicts of interests as well,” she said.

“We’re ensuring everyone involved in project design and programme design declare any interests they have in the area so that we can be very upfront with that. All of those types of things that makes it a programme that demonstrates good governance as part of the mandate of the prime minister.”

Dr Virgill-Rolle said experts on her seven-member team find the timeline to fashion the policy “very reasonable”.

“We’re giving ourselves until the end of April,” she said.

“We’ve been working on this from September, August. We are able to put together the right paper and put a compressive paper so Bahamians could have adequate consultation.”

PROJECT BRINGS TECHNOLOGY INTO EDUCATION

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis launched his administration’s Overthe-Hill eLearning Project at the Willard Patton PreSchool yesterday.

“This pilot eLearning Project was designed to involve ten public preschools, five of which are in New Providence and five in the Family of Islands,” he

said. “The project is part of ongoing efforts for education reform, including through the use of technology and experience-based education.

“This programme seeks to modernise the way we educate our youth with the use of tablets for interactive learning, and software that allows parents and teachers to better monitor and trace a child’s performance.

We are seeking to equalise the opportunities for

education for all children in The Bahamas. The circumstances of birth should never hold anyone back from succeeding in life.”

Dr Minnis identified the eLearning Project as one of a number of initiatives designed to transform inner-city communities.

“Over the upcoming weeks and months,” he said, “work will continue in developing various initiatives, including tax and other economic incentives;

the long-term development of a native food market Over-the-Hill; access to Wi-Fi by residents, and various youth development and social intervention programmes.

“In November 2014, some three years ago, I outlined some of my vision for Over-the-Hill communities. In this vision I saw our inner-city communities more empowered. I saw residents and businesses participating in the revitalisation of their communities. I saw special economic zones with tax incentives created to support jobs, business growth and opportunities.

I saw the entire community tackling criminality from its root causes to the rehabilitation of offenders. I saw fundamental changes in communities Over-the-Hill.”

The launch is part of

a project expected to ultimately change Over-theHill communities through several initiatives, including: social and economic empowerment, creating tax incentives to operate and expand businesses in the Over-the-Hill area to boost the local economy, and create jobs and ownership.

Improving the physical appearance of the communities is also part of the plan.

According to Bahamas Information Services, the Minnis administration has made an annual commitment of $5m to facilitate the programme.

“Over-the-Hill is the cradle for so many in our Bahamas,” Dr Minnis also said. “Over the years, these communities have undergone tremendous change, including in terms of family structures and community ties, as well as an increase

in crime, violence and gang participation.

“Still, these traditional communities possess great talent and possibilities, and opportunities for new life.

I know of these communities, because they are from whence I came.

“With these visions and these possibilities in mind, I asked my team at the Office of the Prime Minister to prepare a programme of community re-development which builds on partnerships between the government, the University of The Bahamas, the church and civil society, the private sector and most importantly, with the Overthe-Hill communities.”

Dr Minnis added: “In the year ahead, my government will outline a number of initiatives and signature programmes for the ongoing revitalisation of various communities.”

READERS REACT TO WEEK’S NEWS READERS on tribune242.com have been giving their reaction to the stories making the news.

After Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis admitted he sometimes gets “it wrong” and said there have been many “tough days” since the the FNM was elected, Banker said: “This is highly refreshing - humility of a servant leader.”

Well_mudda_take_sic had this to say: “The problem is, Minnis more often than not gets it wrong by shooting from his hip without having availed himself of invaluable input from others who are wiser and more knowledgeable about the possible repercussions of the particular issue or public policy matter under consideration. We, the people, and our country, can ill-afford a PM who, because of his triplewhammy of God, Saviour and Moses-like complexes, is not inclined to accept that there are many others much smarter and wiser than he is on any given subject matter.”

There was this from Alex_Charles: “It’s good that Minnis can admit this but learn to shut the hell up and have all info before you speak. This goes to his entire administration. Be forthcoming with information to the press and the

Bahamian people and be united. The former administration was all over the place with two Cabinet ministers telling the press conflicting stories while the PM had a completely different story. This new lot seems to not like to talk to the press at all giving way to speculation as we saw last week. Not speaking to the press is stupid and moronic and will ultimately be the downfall of this administration. If I were a PLP spin doctor now would be the best time to practice the craft.”

Tribune Business reported that Bahamian software developer Bruce Raine had revealed he was forced to domicile in the Cayman Islands to prevent VAT and Business License fees “killing” his competitiveness.

OldFort2012 responded with this: “All very true.

Radical root and branch reform is needed. However no one in their right mind is going to come here to sell anything in the Bahamas. All the software will be for export and via IBCs, surely? That way VAT and

business licences will not apply.”

The_Oracle said: “Bruce is correct: Government, rightly wanting to entice tech companies to our shores promptly build a box hoping they’ll jump in. They won’t. You don’t structure or confine these tech guys. They are a constantly moving dynamic.

Their markets are global.

Second point is the ‘strangulation’ of business in the Bahamas is directly tied into the ‘control/deny psyche’ pervasive throughout the Government and civil service. There is no interaction with Government that is painless. That is what needs fixing.”

And there was this comment from Sheeprunner12: “First of all . . . Cayman Islands is a British territory . . . an OECD country . . . secondly, Bahamians must look to INVEST in sectors of their country that will reduce imports . . . thirdly, until we reform our public sector and change our tax codes to lower fuel costs and labour costs, we will always remain non-competitive. We sold out on our ‘tax free status’ because of OECD pressure and now the OECD (like Cayman) is eating our lunch.”

• Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.

QUEEN’S COLLEGE SALUTES A LEGEND

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 5, 2017, PAGE 9

QUEEN’S College held a huge celebration for Sir Durward Knowles to mark his 100th birthday. Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling and Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis joined Sir Durward and students to mark the occasion, which included a cake cutting, the launch of the Sir Durward Knowles Centenary Scholarship Fund, the unveiling of the QC Monument in his honour and more.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

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PAGE 10, Tuesday, December 5, 2017

10 HELD AFTER JOURNALIST DEATH VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Ten suspects were arrested yesterday for the car bomb slaying of a prominent Maltese journalist who covered corruption, the prime minister and other authorities said.

The arrests came seven weeks to the day after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

They were the first known break in a crime that shocked Malta and motivated European Union officials to look into the EU island nation’s laws and government.

Caruana Galizia, 53, was killed on October 16 when a bomb destroyed her car as she was driving near her home. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who was among the subjects of the late reporter’s investigations, declined to say who the suspects were.

THE TRIBUNE

Trump endorses Moore despite claims of sexual misconduct WASHINGTON Associated Press PRESIDENT Donald Trump gave embattled GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore a vigorous formal endorsement Monday, looking past allegations of sexual misconduct with Alabama teenagers as Republican leaders in Washington, once appalled by Moore’s candidacy, began to come to grips with the ever-clearer possibility of his victory.

Buoyed by the taste of his own success in Congress as the Republican tax bill inches closer to passage, Trump telephoned Moore to offer encouragement as well as support and also

argued in a pair of tweets that Moore’s vote was badly needed to push the president’s policies forward.x In addition, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who was initially among several national Republicans to urge Moore to drop out of the race, said Sunday it was up to Alabama voters to decide whether the former state Supreme Court chief justice should be elected.

Weeks ago, when accusations of sexual misconduct with teenagers first surfaced, Trump’s spokesman had said the president believed Moore would “do the right thing and step aside” if the allegations were true.

Funeral Service For Leon Hasting Sweeting, 76 of Ambergrist Street and formerly of Gregory Town, Eleuthera, will be held on Thursday 7th December, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at Evangelistic Temple, Collins Avenue. Officiating will be Pastor Vaughan Cash, assisted by other Ministers of the Gospel. Interment will follow in Gregory Town Public Cemetery on Saturday, 9th December, 2017.

He is survived by his wife: Elouise Sweeting (Deceased); daughters: Tina & Leona Sweeting, Christa (Randy) Thurston and Denise (Jermaine) Higgs; sons: Glen, Terrance (Greta) & Roscoe (Santani) Sweeting; grandchildren: Antoine, Terran and Tyra Sweeting, Shannon and Shawn Thurston, Jermaine Jr, Jahmier and Jaylyn Higgs, Jade and Joshua Dean; sisters: Arlene Major and Wealthy Hamilton; brothers: Maxwell (Patricia) Sweeting and Dennis (Eulene) Johnson and the Late James Sweeting; sister-in-law: Rozena (Lehenzor) Bain; brother-in-law: Eric (Dee) Bullard; nieces: Tracey (Romeo) White, Tamika Major, Tesha (Clint) Clarke, Talia (Pretino) Albury, Deandrea Hamilton, Tanya Northeast Been; nephews: Peter (Jenny) Major, Ryan (Pamela) Major, Jamal (Glendia) Sweeting, Michael (Toni) and Chadrick Sweeting, Lester and Dominic (Renee) Roache, Corey Hamilton and Vince Thompson; other family including: Cyril Gardiner & family, Dorothy Simon & Family, Wellington Middelton, The Families of the Late Joseph, Richard and Wilfred Johnson, The Families of Sandra Pennerman, Daisy Russell, The Late Miriam Butler-Pratt and Edward Cox, , The Families of Bertha Dean, Teddy Johnson, Myrtle Major, Jan Russell, The Families of the Late Annie Maurice, Phyllis Williams and Junior Sweeting and Oswald Sweeting, Antoinette Thompson, Adrian, Paul, Solomon, Alex, John-Arthur and Neberth Johnson and The Arnette Family. Constance Saunders; friends including: Kaysha Miller, The family of Peter and Petrona Major, Pastor Joseph Thompson, Joseph Bethel, Clarence Gibson, Andrew and Paul Bain, Philip Rolle, Fritz Kerr, David Knowles, Adrian Griffin, Ashley (Barney) Bannister, Kemoy Coke, Friends and Neighbors of Ambergist St.(Mango Tree Crew), Staff of Beverley’s Kitchen and The Lyford Cay Club.

Friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians #44 Nassau Street on Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Friday at St. Agnis Anglican Church Gregory Town, Eleuthera from 7:00 p.m. to midnight.

Top Republicans vowed to expel him from the Senate if he won his Dec. 12 special election. And, publicly and privately, GOP leaders described the allegations against Moore as credible and insisted there were no circumstances under which he should serve in the Senate.

Trump’s tweets on Monday showed his thinking has evolved as Moore has rejected his party’s appeals and doggedly remained in the race.

In the phone call, Moore said, Trump offered “his full support and said he needs a fighter to help him in the US Senate”.

Moore tweeted that the president told him: “Go get ‘em, Roy!” Trump’s move was somewhat symbolic: He had already all but endorsed Moore, repeatedly criticizing Democratic rival Doug Jones on Twitter and planning a campaign-style rally in Pensacola, Florida, on Friday, less than 20 miles from the Alabama border and just four days before voters head to the polls.

Still, Trump’s decision to do away with any pretense of distance made clear he is increasingly confident in Moore’s chances of victory despite the continued unease of some other Republican leaders.

A Moore victory would set up a potentially explosive clash with fellow Republicans in Congress, some of whom have resoundingly called on him to quit the race. While some have softened their rhetoric recently, others have said they still will try to expel him if he is elected.

Moore’s campaign was wounded by accusations this fall of sexual misconduct, decades ago, made by women who were then teenagers. One of the women alleges he initiated sexual contact when she was 14.

Moore denies it all, saying “I do not know any of these women. I did not date any of these women I did not engage in any sexual

FORMER Alabama Chief Justice and US Senate candidate Roy Moore.

Sessions. But the presimisconduct with anyone.”

Trump, who has repeat- dent went silent after The edly noted Moore’s denials, Washington Post reported took a more political stance on the allegations of sexual misconduct with two teens, on Monday.

“Democrats refusal to ages 14 and 16, and efforts give even one vote for to date several others while massive Tax Cuts is why Moore was a local prosecuwe need Republican Roy tor in his 30s.

By late last month, Moore to win in Alabama,” Trump tweeted. “We need however, with pressure his vote on stopping crime, mounting from his former strategist Steve illegal immigration, Border chief Wall, Military, Pro Life, Bannon and other corVA, Judges 2nd Amend- ners of his base, Trump was making clear that he ment and more.”

In that same vein, preferred Moore, raislongtime Alabama Sen ing doubts about the Richard Shelby said candidate’s accusers and Trump’s endorsement didn’t criticizing Democrat Jones surprise him. He said of as the “liberal puppet” of the president, “I think he’s Democratic leaders Chuck interested, a lot of us are, Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.

Meanwhile, Moore in the numbers, being a himself was strongly critiRepublican.”

And Sen Orrin Hatch, cised by top Republicans, who traveled with Trump including Cory Gardner on Monday to Hatch’s of Colorado, chairman of home state of Utah, said the Senate GOP campaign he realistically didn’t have apparatus known as the any choice. Hatch said, of National Republican SenaMoore, “That’s the only torial Committee.

“If he refuses to withdraw Republican you can possibly get down there at this and wins, the Senate should vote to expel him, because time.”

Trump first appeared he does not meet the ethical to back Moore after his and moral requirements of first choice, Sen. Luther the United States Senate,” Strange, lost the GOP pri- Gardner said three weeks mary for the seat once held ago. He said last week he

by Attorney General Jeff stood by that statement.

IRISH BORDER STILL AN OBSTACLE TO BREXIT BRUSSELS Associated Press THE European Union and Britain ended a flurry of top-level diplomacy on Monday without a deal on the terms of their divorce, as agreement on how to maintain an open Irish border after Brexit slipped out of the negotiators’ grasp.

But the two sides said they were within striking distance of consensus, setting up a hectic negotiating rush ahead of an EU summit next week. Member countries must decide whether to broaden the talks to the topic of future relations.

British Prime Minister Theresa May went to Brussels for a long negotiating lunch with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. After a day that see-sawed between hope and disappointment, the leaders failed to make what the EU considers “sufficient progress” on three issues: Britain’s exit bill, the rights of citizens affected

by Brexit and the status of the currently invisible Irish border. The border issue remained the main sticking point.

“We had an agreement this morning,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said, expressing disappointment at the last-minute glitch.

EU leaders want a deal on the breakup terms in time for them to agree at the Dec 14-15 summit whether to move the negotiations on to the next stage of talks, including trade.

The lack of progress so far has raised concerns that Britain may not have a deal by the time it officially

leaves on March 29, 2019.

“Despite our best efforts and the significant process we and our teams have made over the past days on the remaining withdrawal issues, it was not possible to reach an agreement,” EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said.

“This is not a failure,” Juncker added after a long negotiating lunch with British Prime Minister Theresa May. May said that “on a couple of issues some differences do remain which require further negotiation and consultation”. But she said talks would reconvene later this week “and I am also confident we will conclude this positively”.

The EU and the UK are nearing agreement on some divorce terms, including the size of the bill that Britain must pay as it leaves and the rights of citizens affected by Brexit. But the border issue has proved more intractable.

After Britain leaves the bloc, the currently invisible 310-mile (500-kilometer) frontier will be the UK’s only land border with an EU country.

Britain says it wants to maintain a “frictionless” flow of people and goods with no border posts. But Ireland and the other EU nations are demanding to know how that will work if Britain is outside the EU’s borderless single market and its tariff-free customs union, a looser trading bloc that includes non-EU states like Turkey.

Negotiators were discussing an agreement that would commit Britain to maintaining “regulatory alignment” between Northern Ireland and Ireland after Brexit.

THE TRIBUNE

DEAN APPOINTED AS AMBASSADOR TO REPUBLIC OF CUBA THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the appointment of Brent Dean as The Bahamas’ ambassador to the Republic of Cuba.

Mr Dean is an accountant and has worked in this capacity at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). He is a certified public accountant with the Georgia State Board of Accountancy and is a chartered accountant with the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA).

Additionally, he holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from the University of Windsor in Canada. Mr Dean has extensive experience in auditing, financial and strategic planning, financial data analysis and compliance.

He has founded and managed several companies in The Bahamas, and, internationally, he has briefly served as

Tuesday, December 5, 2017, PAGE 11

BRENT DEAN vice-president of the Caicos Brothers, a real estate development company based in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.

43 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH CUBA THE Bahamas and Cuba are celebrating 43 years of diplomatic relations this year.

According to a statement from the Embassy of Cuba to The Bahamas, both countries officially established diplomatic relations on November 30, 1974 and since then the two countries have signed a number of mutually beneficial agreements.

“Working together in the fields of education, health, sports, agriculture, national security and culture, to name a few, has been essential for both countries,” the Cuban embassy said.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

‘Today, The Bahamas and Cuba have achieved 43 years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations.

“Friendship, respect and solidarity have been the pillars for a solid [relationship] between

our two small nations.

“While celebrating this important anniversary, let us take the opportunity to think about ways to further strengthen the bilateral ties for many more years to come.”