12182019 BUSINESS

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2019

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KEN HUTTON

‘Unregulated construction’ alarm on Dorian revival

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net ABACO’S Chamber of Commerce president is sounding the alarm over “all this unregulated construction going on” as the Hurricane Dorian rebuilding effort starts to ramp up on the island.

Ken Hutton told Tribune Business that he was “very concerned” about the numerous “guys with a hammer that are going around and are not qualified to do the work”, voicing fears this will “create an even bigger problem” when the 2020 hurricane season rolls around.

“My concern is that there are not as many licensed, qualified contractors doing the work,” he said. “We have a lot of unlicensed contractors or guys with a hammer going around and they’re not qualified to do this work.

“I’m very concerned about that. It’s a doubleedged sword. We want people back in their homes as quickly as possible, but we want these homes rebuilt responsibly so that they will not be more dangerous than what was left.

“That’s a big concern of mine. There’s all this unregulated construction going on right now. We want people in their homes, but at the same time it has to be done properly otherwise we are creating even bigger problems next hurricane season.”

Mr Hutton’s concerns echo those expressed previously by former Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) presidents Leonard Sands and Stephen Wrinkle, who voiced fears that there was no way to properly police Dorian reconstruction given that the industry’s self-regulatory licensing system - showing which contractors are capable of a particular standard of work is not in place yet.

As a result, they warned that consumers have no redress for shoddy workmanship with the possibility that a good portion of the post-Dorian rebuild may not be compliant with the Bahamas Building Code - storing up further trouble for when a hurricane strikes again.

Mr Hutton, meanwhile, suggested that Abaco’s revival had now reached “the end of the beginning” with efforts turning to “the real hard work” of rebuilding or constructing totally new homes, businesses and public buildings.

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Bahamas warned: ‘Stop the piracy’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A

PREMIER pay-TV content provider is demanding that the Bahamian government “takes action to stop the unlicensed transmission” of major US networks to subscribers in this nation.

HBO Latin America, a subsidiary of its Home Box Office (HBO) parent, is urging the Trump administration to “consider withdrawing or denying” the one-way trade preferences that the US grants to The Bahamas and other Caribbean nations to press for a region-wide crackdown on copyright and intellectual property rights violations.

The network, in a letter to the US Trade Representative’s Office that has just been

• HBO demands government ‘takes action’ • Urges US to ‘withdraw or deny’ trade benefits • Online piracy ‘alarming’; has ‘significantly risen’ publicly disclosed, argues that the online piracy of TV programmes and related content “has increased significantly in The Bahamas”.

Describing the use of illegal online platforms to download and watch such programming as “alarming”, HBO Latin America called on the Bahamian government to also crack down on IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) and illicit streaming devices (ISDs) that it says are facilitating these copyright violations.

“HBO Latin America is also requesting that the Bahamian government takes action to stop the unlicensed transmission of the

US domestic network signals of CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox, all of which are intended for the US market and contain content distributed on HBO Latin America programming services, often on an exclusive basis,” the letter charged.

“Online piracy of audiovisual materials has increased significantly in The Bahamas. Illegal IPTV services are openly advertised in public places and are widely advertised online.

The increased use of illegal online platforms is alarming and causing significant disruption in the market.

“HBO Latin America would like to see action by the Bahamian government

THE Bahamas has been urged to invest $229m over the next five years in “an ambitious and fast track programme” to achieve the National Energy Policy’s “30 percent by 2030” renewable target.

Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) consultants, in a report seen by Tribune Business, call for this nation to “pursue” the installation of 119.08 megawatts (MW) in solar energy, together with 10.96 MW of four-hour battery storage, between 2019 and 2023 if it is to get back on course with its renewable

systems in New Providence by 2023, the WSP report’s executive summary also calls for a 30 MW “floating” solar system to be installed on Lake Killarney together with a 15 MW “ground mounted” operation at the Tonique Williams Highway landfill.

It estimated that the solar roll-out would produce around $58m in “avoided” electricity generation costs Bahamas-wide over the next five years if targets were hit, and its recommendations

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

followed, in a bid to increase the “less than one percent” share of the energy mix currently enjoyed by renewables.

“Over the next five years The Bahamas should plan and pursue 119.08 MW of solar PV in New Providence (73.7 MW) and the Family Islands (45.38 MW), supplemented with 10.96 MW of four-hour battery energy storage,” the WSP report said.

“It should be noted that

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to help reduce the use of illegal online IPTV services and ISDs that facilitate access to unlicensed content.”

The HBO Latin America demands, conveyed by their attorneys, potentially impacts all the major US networks whose content is widely watched and enjoyed by a Bahamian audience that effectively takes access to them for granted - treating it almost as a right.

The letter, though, does not specify who is behind the alleged “unlicensed transmissions” in The Bahamas even though it singles out Caribbean cable TV

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• BPL consultant urges 119MW of solar by 2023 • ‘Ambitious’ five-year plan eyes 11% of energy mix • 30MW ‘floating’ system for Lake Killarney energy commitments.

WSP, in a report produced in August 2019, said its fiveyear Renewable Energy Plan for New Providence and the Family Islands would ensure renewable energy sources accounted for 11 percent of The Bahamas’ total generation mix by 2023 - a level that would place the country “in line” to reach its 30 percent goal by 2030.

Besides calling for the installation of 28.7MW in solar rooftop photovoltaic

Taxi union hopeful on 300 new plates THE Bahamas TaxiCab Union’s president yesterday voiced optimism that the government will issue 300 new plates as it prepares to lift the 27-year moratorium on new issuances.

Wesley Ferguson told Tribune Business he was seeking 100 plates for taxi drivers who had been waiting for at least 15 years for their opportunity, as well as 200 plates for younger drivers.

He spoke out after Renward Wells, minister for transport and local government, confirmed that the Cabinet had agreed to lift the long-standing block on new plate issues.

“The taxi moratorium and the livery moratorium has been lifted by the Cabinet of The Bahamas,” Mr Wells said. “It was a decision that was taken a couple of weeks ago. I was a little bit disappointed in the president of the union jumping ahead of the Government of The Bahamas and making the announcement.

“But we had spoken to him once the prime minister had made the decision to move forward, once the cabinet has made the decision to move forward, and the prime minister instructed me to speak with both unions - both the livery union and the taxi cab union - to get the number of persons they had on their list who were sub-leasing and who had been working in the industry for some 15-plus years.

“So we had that meeting.

They provided the data, but they stepped forward before the Government of The Bahamas was able to make that announcement. So I had

‘Fast track’ renewables with $229m investment

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

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Solomon’s return awaiting Lucayan, airport resolution

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net AML Foods yesterday pledged to re-open its stillclosed Solomon’s Freeport store once the fate of the Grand Lucayan and the island’s international airport are positively resolved.

Gavin Watchorn, the BISX-listed food retail group’s chief executive, told Tribune Business it “wants to see” progress made on two issues “very critical to Freeport’s future” and the wider Grand Bahama economy before re-opening its Queen’s Highway site.

Revealing that the store was inundated with six feet of water from Hurricane Dorian’s storm surge, despite being built six-anda-half feet above ground level, Mr Watchorn said AML Foods had not ruled

• AML ‘committed’ to re-open Queen’s Hwy store • Once fates of FPO’s key economic assets known • Full insurance payout to wipe-out $1.47m storm loss

GAVIN WATCHORN out re-opening Solomon’s Freeport at a different location.

The category five storm’s impact drove the group into a $1m-plus net loss for both the second quarter and first half of its 2020 financial

year, with $1.25m in interim insurance proceeds insufficient to completely offset total hurricane-related losses and expenses of around $3m.

However, Mr Watchorn said AML Foods was “very confident” that its full insurance claim will be settled in January/February 2020 and “more than offset” the $1.486m of “extraordinary” Dorian-connected losses it was forced to book for the quarter that closed at end-October.

While the group’s Freeport workforce had shrunk by ten percent to around 250 compared to pre-storm levels, the AML Foods

chief said it had managed to avoid any forced terminations. He added that some staff had transferred to Nassau, or were performing Nassau-based work from Grand Bahama, while others had left the island or requested separation packages to move on.

Acknowledging the “important role” the group’s three stores play for Freeport’s society, Mr Watchorn said he believed too few New Providence residents “truly understand what Grand Bahama and Abaco have gone through” with Dorian and just how hard the recovery will be.

While AML Foods’ two other Freeport stores,

Solomon’s Lucaya and Cost Right, “came through largely unscathed” and are open, Mr Watchorn said its Queen’s Highway location was unable to escape the flooding that impacted many other businesses.

“We’re committed to reopening in Freeport, but want to see resolution with what’s happening at the airport, the ownership of the airport, and what happens with the hotel [Grand Lucayan],” Mr Watchorn told Tribune Business.

“Our company feels they’re very critical to the future of Freeport, and wants to see some resolution of those two matters. We feel both of them are very important to the Grand Bahama economy.”

As a major Freeport employer, with around

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PAGE 2, Wednesday, December 18, 2019

TOP TOURISM OFFICIAL WINS LEADING AWARD

THE TRIBUNE THE Ministry of Tourism’s director-general has won the title of Caribbean tourism director of the year, according to the Caribbean Travel Awards.

Joy Jibrilu, responding to the announcement, said: “I’m still processing the gravity of such a prestigious award. It is indeed both humbling, personally gratifying and a great way to end what has been quite a year. This award is not just for myself; it’s the final result of a collaborative effort from an exceptional team. From the communications team to our sales team globally, meticulously

working in tandem towards a clear and concise vision.

“This award crowns a year that has seen us in The Bahamas rise to meet one of the greatest challenges dealt to our tourism economy. Hurricane Dorian was perhaps the greatest challenge ever faced by our nation.

“Naturally, the destructiveness of Dorian attracted lots of international media attention. It was critical for us to quickly manage the narrative in the storm’s aftermath, to disseminate the accurate message about the effects of the storm on our destination, to ensure

JOY JIBRILU that the world understood that only two of our islands were affected by the storm and that the vast majority of our islands are unaffected and open for business.”

Launched in 2014, the Caribbean Travel Awards are the region’s premier celebration of tourism achievement. Winners are selected by the Caribbean Journal’s editorial staff and network of contributors, with choices based on year-round research and on-the-ground travel experiences and information.

“Joy Jibrilu has done an admirable job for The Bahamas in a year of immense highs and tragic lows - from a rapid tourism surge earlier in the year to calmly leading the destination through the tragedy of Hurricane Dorian — and quickly getting the message out about how and where to visit The Bahamas,” said Alexander Britell,

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editor-in-chief and founder of the Caribbean Journal.

Mrs Jibrilu was named as the Ministry of Tourism’s director-general in May 2014. She began her government career in 2005 as a consultant, and later legal advisor, for the Ministry of Finance.

Mrs Jibrilu later served as director of investments for The Bahamas Investment Authority, where she was responsible for facilitating foreign direct investment (FDI) projects and negotiating Heads of Agreements.

Prior to joining the public sector, Mrs Jibrilu, an attorney by profession, lived in west Africa and England where she worked in international education, serving as a director of the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA) for nine years.

Mrs Jibrilu joins five others who have received this distinguished award since its inception. The official presentation will be held at the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Marketplace at Baha Mar from January 21-23, 2020.

THE TRIBUNE

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net A CABINET minister yesterday voiced optimism that the hotel union’s Thanksgiving Day protest outside Atlantis had “no impact” on the visitor experience enjoyed by hundreds of guests.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, pictured, minister of tourism and aviation, said: “I think that the union staged their protest and then returned back to work. I don’t think any of our foreign visitors, other than those that may have been moving through the front door of the hotelm had any idea of what was going on, so I think it was very well handled.

“I think that the union were sensitive to the issue and the employer was sensitive to the issue. So, in hindsight, looking at it I don’t think it had any impact on our foreign visitor experience.”

Mr D’Aguilar, speaking outside of the Cabinet office, argued that the issues between the Bahamas Hotel, Catering And Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) and Bahamas Hotel and Restaurant Employers Association (BHREA) are a “private matter” that has nothing to do with the Government.

“It’s between the union

MANY ‘MOVING PARTS’ TO BUYING GB AIRPORT

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A CABINET minister yesterday said there would be “a lot of moving parts” involved in negotiating the Grand Bahama International Airport’s (GBIA) acquisition if the owners decided to sell.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minster of tourism and aviation, told reporters outside the Cabinet Office: “I think that the present owners (the Grand Bahama Port Authority and Hutchison Whampoa) of the Grand Bahama Airport Company have to conclude on the decision to sell; if

Wednesday, December 18, 2019, PAGE 3

and the employer, and I somehow got dragged into it,” he said. “I would love for there to be an amicable outcome, but the Government is not necessarily involved in that process. So the daily twists and turns of that negotiation, we were not a party to, and I think they have agreed that they would revisit this in the New Year and let’s get through the Christmas season. I have seen press releases by Atlantis that they would like a reasonable outcome and the union says that we will revisit this after Christmas, and the

Government need not be a party to that.”

Mr D’Aguilar also said: “I spoke to the airport this morning. I spoke to Vernice Walkine (president and chief executive of the Nassau Airport Development Company) at the airport, and they say they expect a very busy Christmas. So that is very good news for the destination. I am very optimistic for a great Christmas. The airport has brought the second runway back on stream, so we are gearing up to receive at least as many foreign visitors as we did last year. So that’s encouraging giving what we went through with Hurricane Dorian.”

Tribune Business reported on Monday that the Lynden Pindling International Airport is expecting 230,000 visitors to move through its terminals between midDecember and January 2 Jan Knowles, NAD’s vice-president of marketing and commercial development told Tribune Business: “Based on historic passenger numbers this year and our initial projections, we are in for a busy season here at the airport. Our focus at NAD is to continue to work with all of the relevant stakeholders to ensure the smooth movement of passengers through our facilities, especially during the peak periods.”

they want to do that and the terms would obviously have to be negotiated. There are a lot of moving parts of as a part of that negotiation that I’d rather not discuss in the public domain.

“Just be aware that the operator of that airport is potentially looking to sell, and the Government of the Bahamas is potentially looking to buy. The particulars and the nuances, and the facts of the deal, are not really ready to be discussed in the public domain.”

Mr D’Aguilar last month confirmed the Government’s interest in potentially acquiring Grand Bahama International Airport amid concern that the GBPA and Hutchison were both “reluctant” to invest the necessary eight-figure sum to restore the Dorianravaged terminal

facility to international aviation standards.

Sarah St George, the GBPA’s vice-chairman, recently confirmed that the airport has been a loss-making operation for its owners, who each hold a 50 percent stake.

Hutchison has management control and, while acknowledging that the government is an obvious candidate to purchase the asset, Ms St George said other unnamed parties were also eyeing its acquisition.

Pointing to issues that are occurring among the airport’s owners, Mr D’Aguilar also said: “There are a lot of things going on in the background that they have to sort out if they are to do it that have not been done. Let that play out and, when they are prepared to make a formal request for the government to acquire, I’m sure we will consider it at the time.”

MIINISTER: ATLANTIS PROTEST HAD ‘NO IMPACT’ ON VISITORS

GRAND LUCAYAN SALE WILL ‘HAPPEN WHEN IT HAPPENS’

THE GRAND LUCAYAN HOTEL

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE tourism minister yesterday declined to predict that the Grand Lucayan’s sale will close by year-end, but remains “optimistic” it will happen.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, speaking to reporters outside the Cabinet Office, said of the talks with the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and ITM Group joint venture: “Negotiations always take twists and turns.

I’m very positive. I’m very upbeat. I’m very optimistic.

“You know with negotiations you can’t put a finite date nor time on when they are going to be concluded; there are always asks and bids and negotiations. That’s just the nature of negotiations. While the press may want a hard and fast date to hold us to, it will happen when it happens and I am optimistic that it will.”

Refusing to go into details on the status of discussions, Mr D’Aguilar added: “When you are negotiating you don’t want to show your hand, and you don’t want to allow people to get into the particulars with it. Just rest assured we are negotiating the best possible deal for it.”

The government signed a letter of intent with Royal Caribbean/ITM Group’s Holistica joint venture for the purchase of the Grand Lucayan, and redevelopment of Freeport Harbour, in March. With an initial investment of $195m, which includes $65m for the purchase of the hotel, the first phase of the development will take place over a 24-month period. It is estimated that some 2,000 construction jobs would be created.

With the redevelopment of the harbour, the project is poised to act as an economic stimulus for Grand

Bahama by bringing in about two million extra passengers annually to make use of the associated facilities. These will include a five-star hotel property, water-based family entertainment, and dining, gaming and other entertainment options.

On Monday, Grand Lucayan chairman, Michael Scott, told Tribune Business that the Government is aiming to close negotiations for the hotel’s sale by yearend. “We’re trying to get a signing of the documents by the end of the year, within the next two weeks,” said Mr Scott.

He also confirmed that the Grand Lucayan’s present occupancy levels at the 196-room Lighthouse Point - the only part of the complex currently open - were “off” due to Grand Bahama International Airport’s inability prior to this week to accept international flights.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, December 18, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

BIMINI READIES FOR MAJOR CRUISE BOOST BIMINI residents are being urged to exploit the “unique opportunity” that will be created when Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages brings 2,800 passengers to the island three times’ a fortnight.

The Tourism Development Corporation (TDC) teamed with the flamboyant UK entrepreneur’s latest venture to stage a Town Hall meeting

in north Bimini, where the community was invited to participate and benefit from the arrival of the Scarlet Lady cruise ship.

The ship is set to call in Bimini three times every two weeks, bringing with it some 2,800 visitors or “sailors” - as Virgin Voyages brands its customers - per call.

“The TDC is charged with creating the linkages

Solomon’s return awaiting Lucayan, airport resolution FROM PAGE ONE 250-300 staff split between its three stores’ pre-Dorian, AML Foods’ position will add to the pressure on both the government and Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) to urgently define the city’s immediate economic future.

The Minnis administration is hoping to conclude the Grand Lucayan’s sale to the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines/ ITM Group joint venture by year-end, the resort’s chairman told this newspaper earlier this week, although the minister of tourism and aviation yesterday declined to be pinned down to a completion date (see article on Page 3B).

The resort, which currently has only one of its three hotel properties open, represents Freeport and Grand Bahama’s “anchor property” and more than half its potential room inventory. It also provides a customer base for Port Lucaya Marketplace’s retail and restaurant tenants, thus making

its revival critical to the island’s economic fortunes.

As for the Grand Bahama International Airport, many Freeport businesses and residents have questioned whether its joint owners - the GBPA and Hutchison Whampoa - are truly committed to investing the eight-figure multi-million dollar sum required to restore its facilities to international aviation standards post-Dorian.

Inbound and outbound commercial international flights only resumed from Freeport on Monday, almost three-and-a-half months since the storm’s passage, following final clearance by US aviation regulators. The fear is that Freeport’s tourism and industrial sectors, and wider economic and business model, will be unable to function unless the airport is properly rebuilt.

Amid the ongoing uncertainty over both issues, Mr Watchorn yesterday said AML Foods had yet to

LEGAL NOTICE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT, 2000 ANDROMEDA GLOBAL STRATEGY FUND LTD. Voluntary Liquidation

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN in accordance with Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000 as follows:a)

ANDROMEDA GLOBAL STRATEGY FUND LTD..

b)

The dissolution of the said Company commenced on 12th December 2019 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

c)

The Liquidator of the said Company is Israel Borba whose address is Lyford Financial Centre Building 2 - Western, CB-10988, Lyford Cay New Providence, The Bahamas

is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act, 2000.

Israel Borba Liquidator

into the tourism economy, thereby ensuring that there is trickle down into the hands of Bahamians - in this instance, the people of Bimini in particular,” said chief executive, Janet Johnson.

“This is a unique opportunity for us to enter into the tourism sector as stakeholders instead of employees as the ‘sailors’ will be looking for things to do, places to

visit and souvenirs to buy.”

Virgin Voyages said it will honour the Government’s plastic-free initiative through removing all waste from the island and using recyclable items as much as possible. To encourage Bahamian entrepreneurs, they have offered to bring skills training through the Branson School of Entrepreneurship in conjunction with the TDC and

determine a timeline for reopening Solomon’s Freeport.

“We’re not certain yet that we will re-open on Queen’s Highway; we may look for another location,” he added.

“We are committed to reopening that store, but don’t have the time for it yet.

“At this point we have cleared out most of what needed to be taken out of that store. The store itself was significantly damaged.

It was flooding; there was very little wind damage. That building was built six-and-ahalf feet off the ground and had six feet of water inside it. Everything in there was destroyed.

“Freeport was performing well before the storm.

It’s an important market for us, and we know we play an important role in that society. Customers in Freeport are loyal. A lot of those who shopped at Queen’s Highway are now shopping at Solomon’s Lucaya or Cost Right.”

Despite the loss of Solomon’s Freeport for the final month of AML Foods’ second quarter, and subdued economic activity on the island in Dorian’s aftermath, the food retail and franchise group’s overall sales were slightly ahead of prior year comparisons for both that period and the first half.

And, with selling, general and administrative expenses down on 2018, AML Foods’ net operating profit for the second quarter rose more than five-fold to $1.478m. It was also up 62.2 percent for the first half at $1.89m.

However, this was undone by the net $1.468m Dorian-related loss that the BISX-listed company had to book as it awaits the full insurance payout. This pushed AML Foods into a $1.165m second quarter loss, and some $1.049m worth of “red ink” for the first six months.

Mr Watchorn confirmed that the Dorian loss was “net” of $1.25m in interim insurance payments received during the second quarter, which partially offset some $2.72m in storm-connected expenses.

Customs system critics finding it ‘easier to lie’ SEVERAL brokers have argued it is “easier to lie on Customs” rather than admit problems with its new Electronic Single Window (ESW) are of the industry’s own making.

The Ministry of Finance, in a statement issued yesterday, quoted several Customs brokers attributing the problems with the electronic import clearance platform - known as Click2Clear - to the private sectors failure to attend training sessions and properly understand its functions before the October 1 launch.

Suzanne Watson, an inhouse broker with AID, said: “Brokers that did not go to the classes did themselves a disservice. Turnout was not as great as I think Customs wanted it to be.

Many of the complaints are a matter of training for the end user. It is a different technology and it requires more information, so it is important for brokers to be trained in the system.

“Once I got over the learning curve, it was smooth. At first our issue was with the size of the declarations, because ours have 700-800 lines. However, now we have no issues with that.

I attended multiple broker classes in July and August for the hands-on training and that was very helpful for me. Customs even offered to do an in-house training at our offices. Plus, we had help from Crimson Logic, the software development company, Superintendent Hudson and chief Customs officer Albury from the Customs IT Team.”

Antoinette Higgs, a licensed broker with A&S Customs Brokerage, added: “There are many people who are not computer literate and they have to upgrade their skills. They

its Community-Based Tourism (CBT) programmes with the University of The Bahamas.

“We are pleased to offer skills training for local people who wish to start new tourism businesses or who wish to expand an existing business,” said Jill Stoneberg of Virgin Voyages. “We are aware that our customers will be seeking authentically Bahamian experiences that will enrich their

should not blame Customs for that. Customs had so many training sessions.

They sent e-mails upon e-mails inviting brokers to free training: For a lot of the sessions, the classrooms were empty. People were not taking the new system seriously, and a lot of brokers did not take advantage of the opportunities to learn.”

“There are people who are blaming the system when, in truth, many brokers are simply taking on work that they cannot handle. It is easier to lie on Customs than to admit that. I don’t mind saying it publicly because it is the truth,” she added.

“Everyone is on a learning curve, but not everyone is taking responsibility for their level of proficiency.

What is not being said or acknowledged is that many brokers are not up to the level of proficiency that they ought to be. They may be using manual releases or hiding the fact that they are overwhelmed or not technologically savvy,” said Geannie Moss, Comptroller of Customs.

“Some are failing to communicate to managers or business owners that their IT systems are not up to the level they ought to be. In fairness, Customs is being blamed for many issues that sit squarely at the feet of brokers and businesses.

“We find it very unfortunate that a few vocal clients are drowning out the sentiments of the majority of users for whom the Click2Clear system is working. We have had growing pains, but we are working through technical issues in an aggressive and proactive way. We welcome the criticism. We just want it to be constructive, true and fair.”

experience here in Bimini, so it is imperative that we meet customer demand. A Virgin Voyages Destination app is to be launched informing their customers as to all available experiences at no charge to the business itself. “ Entrepreneurs are being encouraged to seek further information from the TDC or the local administrator’s office on participation in these workshops in the New Year.

Her comments came as Customs urged brokers to attend free training sessions and refresher courses that will be offered in the New Year to help improve the user experience with Click2Clear.

The Department added that since the summer of 2018, it has trained 430 couriers and brokers in Nassau, along with hundreds of other professionals in the import industry in New Providence and across the Family Islands.

Customs, though, said some brokers are finding the system to be more labour intensive because they have a steeper digital learning curve and lack sufficient training.

It added that the system requires more information and a higher level of accuracy, but said brokers who took advantage of the free training sessions and were already computer savvy are performing better than others.

Acknowledging that there have been technical issues with the transition to the new online system, Customs said some of the problems stem from human error or a lack of familiarity with procedures.

All Customs officers who work in operations – from managers to line staff – last week had to participate in a mandatory training refresher on Click2Clear.

By taking such a proactive approach, Customs expects to see fewer errors made by officers moving forward, such as unwarranted rejections.

The system also tracks the actions of individual Customs officers to bring more internal accountability and control. This tracking is available to end users as well.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, December 18, 2019, PAGE 5

BAHAMASAIR MAKES FIRST GB DEPARTURE TO US POST-DORIAN BAHAMASAIR’S first international departure from Grand Bahama since Hurricane Dorian was hailed by a Cabinet minister as “a really positive step for residents”.

Senator Kwasi Thompson, minister of state for Grand Bahama, who greeted passengers on the national flag carrier’s return flight from Florida, said the service sent a further signal that Grand Bahama was returning to normal following the category five storm.

Bahamasair represented the second international flight coming to Grand Bahama in three days, as Sunwing arrived from Canada with 189 passengers at the weekend.

“The flight today really means that we’re getting to back to normal for our residents because the Bahamasair flight is what

accommodates our residents moving back and forth to Florida, and so today is really a positive step for residents,” Mr Thompson said.

The temporary facility at Grand Bahama International Airport has been cleared for all international flights.

Besides Bahamasair’s resumption of regular flights, Silver Airlines is expected to start services later this week while American Airlines should return in early 2020.

Bahamasair’s flight to Fort Lauderdale left on Monday morning just after 9am with 35 passengers, including Iram Lewis, minister of state for disaster preparedness, management and restoration, and Rudy Meadows, deputy chairman of Bahamasair.

Mr Lewis said: “We are killing two birds with one

THIRTY-five passengers were onboard Bahamasair’s first international flight from Grand Bahama to Fort Lauderdale following Hurricane Dorian. Iram Lewis, minister of state for disaster preparedness, management and restoration, and Rudy Meadows, deputy chairman of Bahamasair, were among them. The delegation was met in Fort Lauderdale by mayor of Broward County, Dale Holness.

Photos: Patrick Hanna/BIS

SENATOR KWASI THOMPSON, minister of state for Grand Bahama, along with Harcourt Brown, permanent secretary in the Ministry for Grand Bahama, welcomed visitors on Monday when the first post-Dorian international flight by Bahamasair to Fort Lauderdale returned to the island.

stone. Infrastructure, the airport is up and running; and from the economy position, tourism is now up and running.

“This is a very important day in our recovery effort.

It is good to be a part of the rebuilding process. I’m happy to see that our own national flag carrier was the first out of the gate to bring an international flight into South Florida, our closest neighbour.

“It speaks to the world that we are not just lying down but trying to help ourselves and ask them [for] much-needed assistance. It is a very big day for not only Grand Bahama, but The Bahamas because we know Grand Bahama contributes greatly to our GDP and the fact that we can now receive tourists is very significant.”

The flight, which returned to Grand Bahama after midday, was met and welcomed in Fort Lauderdale

by Dale Holness, mayor of Broward County.

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Ministers update financial services www.ub.edu.bs

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Suitably qualified candidates are invited to apply for the following career opportunities at University of The Bahamas, Oakes Field Campus: Air-Condition Technician II, responsible for the installation, maintenance, repair, assembling, modification and maintenance of air condition and refrigeration systems. Specific duties and responsibilities include repairing or replacing defective aircondition equipment, components or wiring; fabricating, assembling and installing duct work and chassis parts using metal working tools and welding equipment; testing pipes or tubing joints and connections for leaks using pressure gauge or soap and water solution; and installing various makes and models of air-condition and refrigeration systems.

Cabinet ministers and top officials have briefed the Bahamian financial services industry on the latest developments impacting the sector.

K Peter Turnquest, deputy prime minister; Elsworth Johnson, minister of financial services, trade and industry and Immigration; and the Ministry of Finance’s acting financial secretary, Marlon Johnson, addressed an industry briefing at the Melia on Monday.

Pictured top are minister Johnson (left) and Mr Turnquest as he spoke. Also shown is Marlon Johnson, the financial secretary.

Photos: Eric Rose/BIS

‘Unregulated construction’ alarm on Dorian revival FROM PAGE ONE

With insurance payouts now flowing, the Abaco chamber chief told Tribune Business he had seen a surge in business at Premier Importers’ operation on the island - where he works - as the demand for construction materials increases.

Noting that complaints over the wait to receive insurance settlements had reduced compared to just two weeks ago, Mr Hutton said: “I do understand a lot more people are receiving insurance claims.

I’m hearing a lot of reports that the payouts on the claims are not as satisfactory as the claimants might want them to be, but when are they ever?

“It does seem to be happening much faster now.

I’m seeing it in my business. I’m seeing a lot more people coming back to start the rebuilding, and that’s encouraging. It’s crazy. We are absolutely incredibly busy.

The problem we’re having is keeping stuff in stock right now. It’s just flying out the door.

“It’s upsetting for me when we run out of things,” he added. “We’re getting things in as fast as we can, several shipments a week. It’s upsetting for me when someone comes in wanting to get their house fixed and they were counting on us, and there’s only so much we can do. I feel bad for them.

“They come in and there’s that look on their face of incredible disappointment, as they were all ready to go and counting on me.”

Air-Condition Technician Apprentice, responsible for assisting the Air-Condition Technician with the installation, maintenance, repair, and modification of air condition and refrigeration systems. Duties and responsibilities include disassembling defective air-condition and refrigeration fixtures, components, equipment, replacing defective or worn out parts and reassembling equipment; examining air condition and refrigeration fixtures/components/equipment for loose connections and broken insulation and tightening or fastening connections using electrical and/or hand tools; and working from ladders, scaffolds and roofs to install, construct, maintain or repair air-condition related fixtures.

Help Desk Specialist II in the Office of Information Technology, responsible for receiving, prioritizing, documenting and actively resolving end user help requests; providing support for hardware and software problems; and assisting with maintenance of IT-related inventory records. Specific duties and responsibilities include documenting all pertinent end user identification information, including name, department, contact information and nature of problem or issue; creating, prioritizing and scheduling work orders for reported issues in the Help Desk ticketing system; escalating work orders (where required) to the appropriately experienced technician and updating tickets to reflect current status and recording, tracking and documenting the help desk request/ problem-solving process.

Health & Safety Technician III responsible for assisting with the inspections, assessments, evaluations, maintenance, installations, and enforcement of the University’s health and safety programmes and regulations. Specific duties include identifying campus-wide risks and hazards that may potentially affect the health and safety welfare at work for employees, students and visitors; recommending immediate control measures to prevent, eradicate, or resolve issues relating to risks and hazards; performing routine inspections, evaluation, installation, and servicing of fire safety/other equipment; conducting health and safety inspections of housing and residential facilities and preparing reports; and assisting the Director in developing Health and Safety policies, programmes, practices, and procedures.

Detailed position announcements are accessible online at: http:// www.ub.edu.bs/about-us/career-opportunities/.

Interested applicants should submit the following to the Human Resources Department via hrapply@ub.edu.bs (Attn: Vice President, Human Resources) by Friday, 20th December, 2019: • A cover letter of interest highlighting work experience and accomplishments relevant to the position; • Completed UB Employment Application Form (www.ub.edu.bs/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Applicationfor-Employment-Staff.pdf) • Current curriculum vitae or resume; • Copies of relevant qualifications and certificates; • Copy of the relevant pages of a valid passport showing passport number, photo identification and expiration date; • Copy of N.I.B. Card; • Copy of valid driver’s license; • Copy of voter’s card • At least three (3) written, professional references.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, December 18, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

‘Fast track’ renewables with $229m investment FROM PAGE ONE

these figures represent the total amount of solar PV that should be installed, including ones that that will be procured through the SSRG (Small Scale Residential Generation programme, as well as through BPL and IPP (independent power producer) investment.

“The associated capital costs are $203.7m for solar PV and $25.3m for the battery storage. These investments result in an annual savings of $3.7m for BPL comparing to the BAU (business as usual) case.”

WSP projected that, at full build-out, the 73.7 MW of New Providence solar PV capacity would generate 42.7 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity per year. Supplementing this, it added: “Installation of 30 MW of floating solar PV on Lake Killarney with annual production of 54.1GWh is envisaged in 2023. Further development of floating PV projects will be realised until 2030.

“A potential 15 MW landfill solar PV facility is assumed to be in operation in 2022. Installation of the first ground-mounted solar PV on the Family Islands is planned for the beginning of 2021 year.”

The report added that no battery storage, which retains excess renewable energy for use when there is heavy cloud cover or at night, was required in New

Providence because the proposed Shell power plant’s use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) would provide “sufficient spinning reserves”.

“On the other hand, investment in battery storage can be justified in the Family Islands,” WSP said, “as PV penetration levels will reach ten to 15 percent in 2023.

When the level of solar PV penetration reaches ten percent of total annual demand (in 2023), shortages of spinning reserves as well as solar PV curtailments occur.

“Therefore, battery storage facilities with a four-hour rating have been proposed to support normal system operation, provide spinning reserves, and avoid solar PV curtailment. The battery would be charged during daylight with excess PV generation and discharged during night hours, and would therefore serve for regulation and load shaving.

This battery storage will also support further integration of solar PV in the following years up to 2030.”

The WSP report, when added to the proposed $170m renewable energy financing/ development vehicle that the government proposes to create in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), indicates that the Minnis administration has suddenly started to get serious about renewable energy by drawing on projects already in the works before Hurricane Dorian.

The BPL consultants,

meanwhile, said “larger quantities of solar PV facilities” will have to be installed on New Providence and the Family Islands between 2024 and 2030 if The Bahamas is to meet its renewable energy targets.

Their report also refers to a seven MW waste-toenergy plant coming online at the New Providence landfill in 2023, and suggests that the potential $130-$160 per megawatt hour price for selling renewable energy to BPL is “attractive for this type of power plant in the Caribbean region”.

“According to the National Energy Plan, the target is to achieve 30 percent of electricity generation from renewable sources of the total generation portfolio. Given that the current renewable share is less than one percent of the overall generation, an ambitious and fast track programme is required to achieve this target,” WSP said.

“While renewable energy and energy efficiency are complementary alternatives to conventional generation, transitioning to them needs to be done in a thoughtful and iterative process that ensures that the core needs of the system – including stability, reliability and financial viability, are met.

“The electrical system underpins the economic foundation of The Bahamas, so it is essential that it continue to operate as well as or better than the current operating system standard during and after the introduction of renewables if the uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency is to be fully realised.”

Bahamas warned: ‘Stop the piracy’ FROM PAGE ONE providers in general earlier in HBO Latin America’s missive.

“Most, if not all, cable providers in the Caribbean (including all beneficiary countries) broadcast US networks (ABC, Fox, NBC and CBS) that are not licensed for broadcast in the Caribbean territory,” the letter said. “The cable providers illegally broadcast the signals in a variety of different ways and, of great concern, it appears that some of the companies engaging in this activity are US based.”

Cable Bahamas is not mentioned in the HBO Latin America letter, and there is no suggestion that the BISX-listed communications provider has done anything wrong in relation to the claims articulated. Tribune Business was unsuccessful in multiple repeated efforts to obtain comment from Cable Bahamas executives on the matter yesterday, including whether they were aware of the HBO Latin America concerns and if it had any impact for its operations.

Tribune Business reported in 2013 that Cable Bahamas and HBO had struck a commercial agreement for the former to use its signals and content, but the Latin

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that ASHELEY BRIDGETTE TILME of Bluebell Avenue P.O.Box SB-52895, Nassau ,Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 18th day of December 2019 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that ODLY BELLOT of Treasure Cay, Abaco, 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 18th day of December, 2019 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

(242) 323-2330

TUESDAY, 17 DECEMBER 2019

ALL SHARE INDEX: CLOSE: 2,218.26 | CHG: 5.17 | %CHG: 0.23 | YTD: 108.81 | YTD%: 5.16 52WK LOW 3.35 20.91 4.90 4.46 1.35 0.22 2.00 9.50 5.60 3.95 6.75 2.35 1.76 8.00 6.25 12.15 6.80 3.01 13.01

SECURITY AML Foods Limited APD Limited Bahamas Property Fund Bahamas Waste Bank of Bahamas Benchmark Cable Bahamas CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank Colina Holdings Commonwealth Bank Commonwealth Brewery Consolidated Water BDRs Doctor's Hospital Emera Incorporated Famguard Fidelity Bank Finco Focol J. S. Johnson

SYMBOL AML APD BPF BWL BOB BBL CAB CIB CHL CBL CBB CWCB DHS EMAB FAM FBB FIN FCL JSJ

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

Cable Bahamas Series 6 Cable Bahamas Series 8 Cable Bahamas Series 9 Cable Bahamas Series 10 Colina Holdings Class A Fidelity Bank Class A Focol Class B

CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

PREFERENCE SHARES

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00

52WK LOW 100.00

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

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

SECURITY Fidelity Bank Note 22 (Series B) +

SYMBOL FBB22

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

BAH29 BG0203 BG0105 BG0205 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0303 BG0305 BG0307 BG0330 BG0403 BG0405 BG0407

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing)

LAST CLOSE 3.70 17.43 6.00 6.10 2.46 1.80 4.40 11.06 6.16 4.20 8.01 3.28 4.35 10.35 7.60 16.75 9.33 3.50 14.00

CLOSE 3.70 17.43 6.00 6.10 2.46 1.80 4.40 11.06 6.16 4.24 8.01 3.27 4.35 10.20 7.60 16.75 9.33 3.50 14.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.00 -0.01 0.00 -0.15 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

CLOSE 100.00

CHANGE 0.00

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

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

LAST SALE 100.00 107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

VOLUME

1,000 20,911

200 250

11,000 VOLUME

EPS$ 0.239 0.932 1.760 0.369 0.070 0.000 -0.438 0.722 0.449 0.184 0.140 0.102 0.467 0.646 0.728 0.816 0.939 0.203 0.631

DIV$ 0.170 1.260 0.000 0.260 0.000 0.020 0.000 0.720 0.220 0.120 0.000 0.434 0.060 0.328 0.240 0.540 0.200 0.120 0.610

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

P/E 15.5 18.7 N/M 16.5 N/M N/M -10.0 15.3 13.7 23.0 57.2 32.1 9.3 15.8 10.4 20.5 9.9 17.2 22.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

YIELD 4.59% 7.23% 0.00% 4.26% 0.00% 1.11% 0.00% 6.51% 3.57% 2.83% 0.00% 13.27% 1.38% 3.22% 3.16% 3.22% 2.14% 3.43% 4.36% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

INTEREST Prime + 1.75%

MATURITY 19-Oct-2022

6.95% 4.00% 4.25% 4.25% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.00% 4.25% 4.50% 6.25% 3.50% 3.88% 4.25%

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

YTD% 12 MTH% 3.06% 3.81% 1.91% 3.39% 2.23% 2.75% 4.99% 6.20% 7.18% -0.08% 2.88% 3.80% 4.56% 6.50% 3.35% 4.17% 5.77% 7.89% 10.91% 11.57% 17.57% 18.60% 4.72% 5.08% 13.44% 13.49% 5.38% 5.44% 3.28% 3.80% -0.71% 0.16% 7.40% 2.70% 10.20% 1.30%

NAV Date 31-Oct-2019 31-Oct-2019 25-Oct-2019 30-Sep-2019 30-Sep-2019 30-Sep-2019 30-Sep-2019 30-Sep-2019 30-Sep-2019 30-Nov-2019 30-Nov-2019 30-Nov-2019 30-Nov-2019 30-Nov-2019 30-Nov-2019

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.27 4.32 2.08 194.86 158.57 1.65 1.82 1.74 1.21 8.31 10.26 6.91 11.76 12.32 10.74 10.00 8.69 11.79

52WK LOW 1.67 3.04 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.58 1.69 1.66 1.09 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global Bond Fund CFAL Global Equity Fund Leno Preferred Income Fund Leno Growth Fund Leno Diversified Fund Leno Global USD Bond Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Equities Sub Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - High Yield Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Alternative Strategies Fund Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F

NAV 2.27 4.32 2.08 193.72 158.42 1.65 1.82 1.74 1.19 8.29 10.16 6.91 11.76 12.32 10.72 9.92 8.68 11.38

MARKET TERMS

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00 52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks 52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume Change - Change in closing price from day to day Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths NAV - Net Asset Value N/M - Not Meaningful

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

merit their interest.

In return, The Bahamas enacted amendments to its compulsory licensing regime - a long-standing demand of the US and its music/TV industries - which had allowed the downloading and rebroadcasting of signals to audiences in this nation regardless of whether agreements were in place to compensate the programming owners.

Yet this is not the first time HBO Latin America has blasted The Bahamas and sought the US government’s support to advance its cause.

In 2013, it urged the US Trade Representative’s Office to place The Bahamas back on its Special 301 “blacklist” on the basis that this nation had yet to pay it compensation from the Copyright Royalties Fund for previous violations of its rights.

That matter, too, was cleared up, but HBO Latin America’s latest letter, dated August 29, 2019, said: “Unfortunately, unlicensed distribution of US copyrighted works has been commonplace in many countries in the Caribbean for decades.

“In too many of these countries, these infringing activities persist without any resistance, much less deterrent penalties that would force infringers to cease operations. More specifically, a number of parties in these regions - usually local broadcasters and cable operators - engage in the broadcasting, cablecasting and/or simulcasting of television programming without licenses from, and without compensation to, rights holders like HBO Latin America.

“Often these unauthorised parties are the only distributor of television programming in the territory. Some of them operate under franchises granted by national governments. In some instances, the broadcasters or cable operators may either be government-owned, or have strong local political connections, making it difficult for foreign companies, like HBO Latin America, to compel enforcement authorities to act against unauthorised distributors.”

NOTICE

(242) 323-2320

BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 4.45 22.65 7.00 6.10 2.60 2.00 5.47 11.75 6.17 4.61 11.01 2.81 4.35 10.21 7.90 16.99 9.40 3.63 14.20

American subsidiary’s latest letter singles out cable TV operators in Jamaica, Curacao, Guyana and St Kitts and Nevis as being guilty of transmitting the major US networks to their subscribers while lacking the necessary authorisations. Hotels were also identified as major culprits.

The letter was submitted to the US government’s leading trade negotiator as part of a public consultation agreement on the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) report that the Trump administration is due to release around year-end 2019. It argues that several nations are failing to meet the criteria for receiving the CBI’s trade preferences, although it does not state who, as a result of these alleged copyright violations.

Some $66.2m worth of Bahamian exports to the US benefited from CBI preferences and tax exemptions in 2018, a separate report released earlier this year by the US International Trade Commission (USITC) found. On average, around 18.4 percent of this nation’s US exports were covered by the CBI during 2017-2018, with Polymers International’s styrofoam products and crawfish among the main beneficiaries.

Thus maintaining access to the CBI’s benefits is not inconsequential for the Bahamian economy in light of HBO Latin America’s threats and lobbying of the Trump administration to use this as leverage to force better intellectual property rights protections and enforcement in The Bahamas and wider Caribbean.

The premier pay-TV network’s concerns also threaten to revive long-standing copyright issues between The Bahamas and the US that took decades, and four administrations, to resolve.

The US Embassy’s intervention eventually ‘jump started’ negotiations between Cable Bahamas and various TV programming rights holders to achieve commercial agreements, after many of the latter declined to deal with The Bahamas on the basis it was too small a market to

30-Mar-2019 30-Mar-2019 30-Mar-2019

NOTICE is hereby given that RONALD PIERRE, of Fox Hill Nassau, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 11th day of December 2019 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that JACKSON PAUL of Shirley Street P.O.Box SB-52895, Nassau ,Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 18th day of December 2019 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that MAXENE JEAN, of Rock Crusher P.O.Box N-9426 Nassau, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 11th day of December 2019 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, December 18, 2019, PAGE 7

Taxi union hopeful on 300 new plates FROM PAGE ONE words with the president of the union and I believe we are on the same page going forward in the future,” Mr Wells confirmed.

Mr Ferguson confirmed the meeting between Mr Wells and the union, and that he told Mr Wells it was “just about under 300 people waiting for taxi plates, which consisted of 100 or more persons who were in the business for 15 years, and then I asked him for an additional 200 for the younger drivers”.

Mr Ferguson said he expects to receive the number of plates he asked for, and added: “I didn’t get a ‘no’. I’m not quite sure that he agreed to the 300, but he didn’t tell me he disagreed to the 300. So you know, silence means consent.

“The taxi industry is excited about this moratorium being lifted. It has been 27 years since this moratorium has been in place. We now have to make the taxi industry better for the younger generation of drivers who want an opportunity to get their plates and run their own business for themselves. This 27-year

moratorium wait is why we have such a long list of drivers now who are waiting for their own plates.”

Asked whether the moratorium’s lifting means that regular taxi service in the inner cities will return, Mr

Ferguson said: “We have a programme in place that is comparable to the Uber app where you would be able to order a taxi online.

“No later than February of next year we expect this Bahamian-style Uber app to

be ready. An app developer out of Freeport was building it for us, but he was devastated by the storm and he lost a lot of his equipment. But he has since now recovered and has resumed working on the app for us for our February roll-out.”