College of The Bahamas COB President, Dr. Rodney Smith Hospitalized Amid A Plagiarism Controversy at The Institution Concerning Him

College of The Bahamas COB Officials were Quiet on the Circumstances Surrounding the Hospitalization of the President, Dr. Rodney Smith

COB President Hospitalized

By Candia Dames

candiadames@hotmail.com

Nassau, The Bahamas

22nd July 2005

The Council of The College of The Bahamas has decided against releasing the recommendations of a special panel appointed to review the plagiarism controversy involving COB President Dr. Rodney Smith because the president has been hospitalized, Council Chairman Franklyn Wilson said yesterday.

But College officials were quiet on the circumstances surrounding the hospitalization of the president, who turned 53 one week ago.

COB Vice President Dr. Pandora Johnson told The Bahama Journal late in the afternoon that any statement from the College would have to come through the public relation’s office, but no official there was available.

Mr. Wilson, however, informed that Dr. Smith is now in hospital in Jacksonville, Fla.

"He spent the last several days at hospital here in Nassau," he said.  "He has now been transferred to a hospital in north Florida.  Of course we’re praying for his speedy recovery.  The good news is as far as we can tell - it’s not life threatening, but anytime one’s in the hospital that’s a matter for concern."

Asked how Dr. Smith’s hospitalization would impact the release of the report by the special panel appointed by the Council, Mr. Wilson said, "It means that all matters relevant to those things are suspended.  Our total thoughts and prayers are with the president at a personal level and we have no other aspect of this under consideration at this moment."

He confirmed that the Council received the panel’s report over the weekend and stressed that it would be inappropriate to even give a hint of what the committee has recommended.

Amid calls for Dr. Smith to resign as president, Mr. Wilson announced on June 20 that a special panel had been appointed to help chart the way forward.

The panel members included Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez; Bahamas Ambassador to the United Nations Dr. Paulette Bethel; Vice Chancellor Emeritus of the University of the West Indies, Professor Rex Nettleford; President-elect of John Carroll University of Cleveland, Ohio and former Vice Provost of the University of San Francisco, Father Robert Niehoff; and Retired Justice Joseph Strachan.

Last month, Dr. Smith said at a press conference that he made a mistake when he failed to provide attribution for a portion of his Honours Convocation speech that were the words of his friend, New York University President John Sexton.

But what followed were strong calls for him to step down, although some of the faculty and staff members of the College soon called a rally to voice their support for Dr. Smith.

One faculty member reiterated yesterday that Dr. Smith has done great things for the College since he was appointed a year ago.

The main campus in Oakes Field continues to undergo a marked physical transformation.  Dr. Smith has said that the aim is to transform COB into the University of The Bahamas by 2007.

But if detractors have their way, he would no longer be a part of the kind of change he has already helped to shape.

In announcing the panel last month, Mr. Wilson had said, "It would be irresponsible to take any action without due examination and reflection.

"However, the issue of plagiarism is a serious one.  Intellectual property is one of the most important products of an educational institution and the foundation of its evolution and growth.  Breaching the associated protocols brings into question all that the institution has contributed to this society, all that it stands for and all it must represent and contribute in the future.

"One thing has been clear almost from the beginning: Dr. Smith has already acknowledged to the College community and the wider public that he has breached the protocols of intellectual property."

The Council Chairman said yesterday that he has informed the College community of the latest development as it relates to Dr. Smith.

The Bahamas Minister of Trade and Industry, Leslie Miller says His Focus is On The Establishment of a National Energy Corporation (NEC)

The National Energy Corporation, NEC is essential to The Bahamas government’s plan to ensure that cheaper fuel reaches consumers through the PetroCaribe initiative

Miller: Nat’l Energy Corp. By September

By Candia Dames

candiadames@hotmail.com

Nassau, The Bahamas

21st July 2005

Minister of Trade and Industry Leslie Miller yesterday again dismissed claims that he did not have the full support of Cabinet in signing the regional PetroCaribe oil agreement and indicated that he was focused on seeing to it that a National Energy Corporation (NEC) is up and running by September.

The NEC is essential to the government’s plan to ensure that cheaper fuel reaches consumers through the PetroCaribe initiative, he reiterated.

The Minister said that before the NEC can get off the ground, the government must first receive a report from the fuel usage committee it established several months ago.  The committee is co-chaired by Vincent Coleby, a long-time petroleum industry executive, and Independent Member of Parliament for St. Margaret Pierre Dupuch.

Minister Miller said he plans to meet today with the committee, which is looking into all aspects of PetroCaribe and fuel usage in the country.

Mr. Dupuch hinted in an interview with The Bahama Journal yesterday that the committee intends to fully back the PetroCaribe initiative, clearing the way for the NEC to be established.

"This would mean for The Bahamas extremely low oil prices," he said. "It would translate into lower electricity costs and it could translate into lower costs for the people on the road driving cars."

Minister Miller said, "I would expect that the National Energy Corporation would be incorporated as early as September to enable BEC to be the first recipient of getting cheaper fuel from Venezuela through PDVSA (that country’s national energy company) and Curacao, which is the same entity that provides the same importers in The Bahamas with 85 percent of their fuel as we speak."

He claimed again that BEC would immediately realize an annual savings of $10 million to $15 million.

The Minister said despite fears, the new arrangement should not force the three major oil companies in The Bahamas – Shell, Esso, and Texaco – to face any dramatic changes.

"What will happen because we are lifting the fuel ourselves, we would then on-sell the fuel to Shell, Esso and Texaco," he explained.  "[We’ll] give everyone a reasonable margin upon which to work in and the Bahamian people will see the benefits."

According to Minister Miller, the National Energy Corporation would not be an elaborate set-up and could easily be managed by about four people from his Ministry.

"It’s just the movement of paper," he said.  "This will not be a regular government corporation.  It could in fact be just a National Energy Agency."

Asked how Venezuela will benefit from the agreement, Minister Miller said Venezuela is not going out on a limb in this deal.

"It is simply trying to assist the countries in this region by lowering the cost of fuel to their citizens.  It’s no different from what other countries have done and continue to do."

He was also asked to respond to ongoing speculation that he signed the PetroCaribe agreement without the full backing of the Cabinet.

Minister Miller suggested that this was all part of a conspiracy to keep poor Bahamians from progressing.

"Generally, the people who are against this project are basically the same people who have been against any progressive action that was taken by any relevant government since the PLP came to power in 1967 to work on behalf of the majority of the Bahamian people, especially the small man," he said.

"They’ve been against majority rule; they’ve been against independence - and they will be against anything that benefits the majority of Bahamians and I pay no attention to them whatsoever."

In signing the PetroCaribe agreement, The Bahamas and other signatories acknowledged that, "Within the context of an unfair economic order inherited from colonialism, and imposed by the wealthy developed - and rich countries, the current global energy-related trends marked by the enormous waste of consumer societies, by the reduced availability of production capacities and by speculation leading to the rise in hydrocarbon prices, have all continuously exerted a negative impact on both the economic performance of, and the social conditions in the countries of the Caribbean."

The agreement also states that the countries of the Caribbean need to possess reliable sources of energy and must be assured that prices will not represent an obstacle to their development.

It says that PetroCaribe is a body aimed at facilitating the development of energy policies and plans for the integration of the nations of the Caribbean through the sovereign use of natural energy resources to directly benefit their peoples.

Following the signing of the agreement, some local executives of the three major oil companies in The Bahamas said that they would like to see more consultation on the whole plan as they did not have specifics on how PetroCaribe will actually work.

Minister Miller said that consultation would swing into high gear after he receives the report of the fuel usage committee.

Leadenhall Bank and Trust Company Limited Licence Suspended

Craig A. Gomez has been appointed as receiver of Leadenhall Bank and Trust Company Limited, and is authorized to assume control of Leadenhall’s affairs in the interest of its creditors - and to exercise all the powers of a receiver under the Companies Act, 1992 

Bank Licence Suspended

 

By Candia Dames

Nassau, The Bahamas

19th July 2005

 

 

 

 

The Central Bank of The Bahamas announced late yesterday that it has suspended the bank and trust licence of Leadenhall Bank and Trust Company Limited to protect the interests of depositors of the bank.

In addition, Craig A. Gomez has been appointed as receiver of the bank and is authorized to assume control of Leadenhall’s affairs in the interest of its creditors and to exercise all the powers of a receiver under the Companies Act, 1992.

The Central Bank did not go into specifics regarding why it took this action.

But Leadenhall in recent years has been plagued with legal troubles.

In 2003, federal authorities in the United States filed petitions in seven federal courts in an attempt to secure the records from MasterCard accounts at Leadenhall.

The U.S. government has been targeting persons it believes used credit and debit cards issued by offshore banks to hide income from U.S. tax collectors.

The Internal Revenue Service has already announced that more than 1,200 people have admitted that they used offshore accounts or credit cards to avoid paying over $100 million in taxes.

U.S. authorities believe these cards allowed tax evaders and fraudsters to access their offshore funds by using the card in the United States for cash withdrawals and purchases.

In 2004, a New York doctor pleaded guilty to money laundering charges.  It is alleged that he ran more than $200,000 of taxable income through Leadenhall accounts and other accounts.

Earlier that year, Leadenhall had been thrust at the centre of a major fraud case in which a U.S court appointed receiver had been seeking to recover millions of dollars allegedly owed to creditors and investors in an elaborate scheme involving the channeling of funds into Bahamas-based accounts.

Leadenhall Bank provided credit card and other financial services to residents in the United States and provided a broad array of services to and engaged in nefarious activities with an entity in the Cayman Islands called Morningstar Ltd., a suit had alleged.

The Bahamian bank was also the partner of AXXESS INTERNATIONAL, which provided credit and debit card services around the world.

Liquidators and receivers had been seeking to hold Leadenhall and AXXESS INTERNATIONAL accountable for being a part of "a conspiracy to defraud."

It was alleged that the U.S-based operators of a business enterprise called "Cash 4 Titles" developed a multi tier marketing enterprise, which eventually involved the use of the Cayman Islands, Bahamas and United States entities - and individuals in a joint venture to defraud investors in the scheme.

It was further alleged that between 1993 and December 1994, the Cash 4 Titles made loans of up to $1,000 to consumers with poor credit histories, and charged interest rates as high as 25 percent per month.

Liquidators at the time had insisted that certain clients were being bilked in the process.  It was a claim William Jenings, managing director of Leadenhall, had dismissed as "totally spurious".

Executives of The Bahamas-based bank could not be reached last night to respond to the Central Bank’s decision to suspend their licence.

The Central Bank announced that the suspension became effective yesterday and will last for a period of 90 days or such shorter period as shall be determined.

In the past, the Central Bank has taken action to suspend a bank’s licence before revoking it, but there has been no indication that that will be the case in this particular instance.

The Government of The Bahamas has been fighting to avoid the kind of publicity that has surrounding certain alleged transactions of Leadenhall, seeking to protect the reputation of The Bahamas as a well-regulated financial services jurisdiction with a zero tolerance approach to money laundering and other financial crimes.

It’s why the parliament of The Bahamas passed a controversial package of financial bills in 2000 after being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force.

Caricom Accepts The Bahamas' Position On CSME

Caricom Accepts Bahamas' Position On CSME

By Candia Dames

candiadames@hotmail.com

Nassau, The Bahamas

8th July 2005

Leaders of the Caribbean Community have accepted the position The Bahamas has taken not to sign onto the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) within the next two years and have agreed that this country will continue to play an active role in the regional grouping.

The Bahamas reported on the state of the public debate regarding the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which establishes the CSME, according to a communique`, issued yesterday following the 26th meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community.

"Member states agreed that in the circumstances of the particular position of The Bahamas, the status quo of its present relationship and involvement in Caricom institutions should be maintained," the communique` also said.

When he had been pushing the case for The Bahamas to join the CSME with certain reservations, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell had insisted that the signing would have maintained the status quo as it relates to The Bahamas' participation in Caricom.

He told The Associated Press in St. Lucia that the debate in The Bahamas over CSME has effectively ended because of the decision taken by the Government of The Bahamas not to sign the Revised Treaty.

It was also something Minister Mitchell reiterated when he spoke with The Bahama Journal yesterday.

"I really don't propose to get into any further debate about this matter," he said.  "It is not an issue which is a live issue for The Bahamas government.  The Bahamian people said they want no further debate on the matter so the debate is over and I won't engage in it."

During the debate, there had been questions regarding what role the country would play in Caricom if it did not sign onto CSME.

Bahamas High Commissioner to Caricom A. Leonard Archer had even suggested at one point that The Bahamas may in fact have to resign from the bloc.  But he had said that that would have depended on the reaction of the heads to this country's decision not to join CSME.

Heads of Government indicated that they understood why the country could not now join the agreement.

According to the communique`, the heads welcomed the fast-track steps taken by Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago to become Single Market compliant since March 2005, and took note of the "strenuous efforts" being made by all the remaining member states to achieve Single Market treaty-compliance and overall readiness.

"They reflected the constraints which member states faced and the challenges of accelerated integration among states of differing capabilities and competitive strengths, and reaffirmed their commitment to the long-held community principle of special- and differential treatment for the disadvantaged among the member states," the communique` added.

Even though the government has stressed repeatedly that it had planned to secure certain reservations, including the free movement of people, there continued to be widespread fears that The Bahamas would have been flooded with foreign nationals had it signed the agreement.

These kinds of "misconceptions" as they were termed by Minister Mitchell were a part of the reason why the drive to CSME was abandoned.

However, heads addressed the free movement of skilled nationals during this week's summit.

They agreed that Caricom nationals who are entering the Free Movement Regime with a skills certificate issued by a member state other than the receiving state should be allowed to work immediately while their qualifications are verified by the receiving state.

The conference also agreed that the review of proposals for the expansion of the eligible categories of skilled nationals would be completed in time for consideration at the next meeting of the conference.

There were other matters of importance addressed in the final document from the heads meeting.

Regional leaders reviewed developments in the various external trade negotiations in which the region is involved.

"They noted that the rapidly changing international environment was less accommodating of preferential arrangements, such as those that traditionally characterized the region's trade relations," the communique` noted.

"They reiterated the region's commitment to, and active participation in ongoing external trade negotiations, but observed that the current challenges including tardy progress on special and differential treatment for small, vulnerable economies and the general push for reciprocity were beginning to raise uncertainty about the costs and the benefits involved."

Heads also noted that St. Vincent and the Grenadines now joins Suriname, the first member state to issue national passports using the common Caricom format.

Several other member states are expected to introduce the new passport format in 2005 and 2006.  December 2007 has been identified as the timeframe for completing the introduction of the new passport format by all member states.

When he returned from the summit yesterday, Minister Mitchell indicated that this is not a concern for The Bahamas, as it does not intend to follow this same move.

During the summit, heads of government also received a presentation on developments relating to security in the region, according to the communique', which says it was recognized that the issue of security needed to be frontally addressed and effectively tackled in order to maintain sustainable development.

In this regard, they endorsed the Management Framework for Crime and Security, which makes provision for a Council of Ministers responsible for National Security and Law Enforcement to superintend policy direction; a Security Policy Advisory Committee; and an Implementation Agency for Crime and Security.

Mixed Reviews In The Bahamas on PetroCaribe initiative

The concerning consensus is that more consultation is needed between the government, the three major oil companies, and retailers in The Bahamas on the PetroCaribe agreement 

Oil Deal Gets Mixed Reviews

By Candia Dames

candiadames@hotmail.com

Nassau, The Bahamas

4th July 2005

Players in the local oil-providing sector have mixed reviews on the recent signing of the PetroCaribe initiative, which promises to cushion Caribbean nations – including The Bahamas – from skyrocketing fuel costs.

But there is consensus on the fact that more consultation is needed between the government, the three major oil companies, and retailers.

Oil companies are seeking clarification on the whole deal, said Troy Simms, country/sales manager at Esso.

"We feel we should be an advisor to the government on this considering the experience we have locally and of course across the globe," Mr. Simms said.

"This is a pretty important change that’s being put on the table.  We really want to make sure that it’s being discussed with a lot of rigor to make sure that the government is fully aware of the risks."

Texaco’s manger, Raymond Samuels was out of town, but another executive at the oil company said that Texaco is also eager for dialogue on the initiative.

The executive said up to now, Trade and Industry Minister Leslie Miller has "not been open with us" about the plan.

Under the plan, signed by regional energy ministers and other leaders in Venezuela last Wednesday night, Petroleos de Venezuela, the state oil company, will pick up 40 percent of the cost if oil is selling at more than $50 a barrel.

Venezuela has also promised that additional concessions would become available should prices reach $100.

Petroleos de Venezuela has also announced that it would also pay for oil shipment costs, and help to construct storage facilities throughout the region.

It’s a plan Minister Miller said last week would result in "tremendous savings" on electricity and cooking gas bills and at the gas pumps.

It would be welcome news, said Gardner Dawkins, president of The Bahamas Petroleum Retail Association.

"I think it will be good news for both the retailer and consumers," he told The Bahama Journal.  "We’re hoping that we’ll be buying fuel at a lower price.  Therefore, passing the savings on to the consumers."

Minister Miller has said those savings would be significant – up to $20 million in savings for BEC annually, and at least $1 in savings on a gallon of gasoline, which is now approaching $4.

Mr. Simms, the Esso manager- said that the company is not sure of the likely impact PetroCaribe would have because it has not yet received details of the agreement.

Petroleos de Venezuela has agreed to ship fuel directly to Caribbean nations like The Bahamas, which have signed the agreement.

Asked whether this would be something Esso would welcome, Mr. Simms said, "There’ve been some concepts discussed and we continue to wait for some details.  One thing that the proposal seems to implicate is that there would be a single source of supply and this appears to be with the Venezuelans."

He said there are risks in having a single source of supply and Esso’s primary concern would be about reliability of supplies.

"If we can’t get the product when we need it, it’s going to have a detrimental impact on the business," Mr. Simms said.

He added that his impressions of how the whole arrangement would work is that the government would become the middleman.

"We need to fully understand how this would be implemented because this is a very complex and sophisticated supply system that’s now in place, that has been successful for so long.  We have a lot of experience…the industry can handle unexpected changes and delays," said Mr. Simms, while stressing that the supply of oil to a small country like The Bahamas is a complex and costly undertaking.

"The folks in our industry have learnt over many, many years how to do this efficiently and be reliable.  We need to be able to deliver petroleum products in a very safe and reliable manner."

Mr. Simms said that it’s much too soon to even speculate on how the PetroCaribe is likely to impact profits of local oil companies.

In his interview with The Bahama Journal last week, Minister Miller also said that the government expects to take another look at the operating margins in the industry.

Mr. Dawkins said this is something that retailers will fight.

"Our margins are what we survive on," he said.  "The price of the gasoline will not change what our margins are."

He added that PetroCaribe would have more of an impact on the wholesalers because they are the ones who will be buying from PetroCaribe or the national energy corporation.

"So therefore we as the retailers will still be at the mercy of the wholesalers who we will be buying products from," Mr. Dawkins added.

He disagreed that PetroCaribe will be risky business.

"The oil companies, of course, are not going to be too happy with it," Mr. Dawkins said.

The Bahamas Signs Petrocaribe Initiative

The primary thrust of the initiative, known as Petrocaribe, is to eliminate the middlemen when it comes to the purchase of fuel and fuel-related products

Oil Deal Sealed

By Candia Dames

candiadames@hotmail.com

Nassau, The Bahamas

1st July 2005

Bahamian consumers are expected to soon experience significant savings on energy costs as a result of a new deal sealed in Venezuela on Wednesday night, which is designed “to build a regional oil alliance and distribute fuel more cheaply in the Caribbean.”

Minutes after arriving from a high-powered energy summit in Puerto La Cruz on Thursday, Minister of Trade and Industry Leslie Miller declared that the agreement was a significant and historic one.

He also explained that the primary thrust of the initiative, known as Petrocaribe, is to eliminate the middlemen when it comes to the purchase of fuel and fuel-related products.

One of the ways Venezuela proposes to keep oil costs down in the region is to use its tanker fleet to transport oil instead of privately owned tankers.

"For The Bahamas, [The Bahamas Electricity Corporation] can realize a savings of no less than $10 million to $15 million per annum in their fuel costs," Minister Miller told The Bahama Journal.

In addition to that, BEC, which last year spent in excess of US$100 million for its fuel costs, can now get the benefit of getting 40 percent of the fuel on credit from Petrocaribe, he said.

"BEC can get rebates on fuel and at tremendous savings," Minister Miller said.

"If BEC were to purchase $20 million worth of fuel per month, BEC would pay approximately 60 percent of that bill.

The balance can be paid over a specified period of time at 1 percent interest rate."

With the middlemen being sliced out of the pie, the Minister also reported that huge savings are on tap at the gas pumps.

His announcement came as motorists continued to face prices approaching the $4 per gallon mark.

"We’re looking at an average savings of no less than $6 per barrel which equates to approximately in our estimation anywhere from 25 cents to 30 cents on a gallon of fuel," he said.  "That’s the initial cost.  Bear in mind that the oil companies here use their brokerage companies, in Barbados and Jamaica and elsewhere, to purchase fuel from PDVSA, which is where we’re going to get our fuel from.

"By eliminating the middlemen, we save another 25 cents to 35 cents on a gallon of fuel.  In addition to that, Petrocaribe is now in a position by having ships to lift the fuel for you.  In other words, Petrocaribe would send one of its ships to The Bahamas full of fuel emanating from any of the terminals owned by PDVSA, which is the national oil company of Venezuela, thereby saving an additional 5 cents to 10 cents on a gallon of fuel."

Altogether, he claimed the average consumer can look for a savings of anywhere from 65 cents to $1 per gallon on the price of fuel in The Bahamas.

The Minister added, "Keep in mind that we still need to cut the margins by the three major oil companies that import fuel into our country from a high of 33 cents down to around 25 cents to 15 cents per gallon, which is more than enough to enable them to make an appreciable profit margin."

But Minister Miller could not say specifically when the savings will begin to materialize.  He told The Bahama Journal that it will happen as soon as the government gives the green light for the establishment of a national energy corporation.

"The prices at the pumps could be decreased significantly, but we must initiate the national energy corporation to enable us to lift fuel from Venezuela," he said.

Heads of state and energy ministers attended the energy summit from The Bahamas and 14 other nations in the region.

They included Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Cuba, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.

The final agreement said, "Petrocaribe emerges as a new political and commercial initiative based on the conservation of non-renewal and depleteable resources, shared solidarity, and social co-responsibility between peoples, tending to assure access to energy at a just and reasonable price, under the sign of regional energy integration, with a broad vision that touches not only on energy, but also on the social, technological, and culture."

Among those attending the meeting were Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and Cuban President Fidel Castro.

National Lottery for The Bahamas Later rather than Sooner

The Introduction of a National Lottery is not on the Front Burner in The Bahamas

Study Completed On Nat’l Lottery

By Candia Dames

candiadames@hotmail.com

Nassau, The Bahamas

30th June 2005

The Gaming Board has completed a report on the feasibility of a national lottery, but its Chairman Kenyatta Gibson indicated on Tuesday that it’s not something that’s likely to become a reality anytime soon.

"We’ve looked at it, with regards to the introduction of a national lottery," he told The Bahama Journal.  "That report for all intense and purposes is completed, and soon as we make it available to Cabinet, we would thereafter come and let the general public know exactly what’s going on with it."

But he said, "That’s not an issue on the table right now in any event, and I think once the time comes for the nation to deal with it, we would deal with it in earnest."

It is no secret though that Mr. Gibson is a strong supporter of a national lottery.

He has in the past pointed out that The Florida Lottery conservatively estimates that US$100 million is spent every year by Bahamians playing the Florida Lottery.

"This is money that we can keep here in The Bahamas," Mr. Gibson has said.

He has also suggested that the taxes from a national lottery could be used to fund universal free tertiary education for every qualified student.

In matters as contentious as this one, the most qualified forum to decide definitively on the issue must be the people, Mr. Gibson said in one of his speeches to the House of Assembly where he touched on the issue.

"On moral issues such as these, national referenda are necessary to discuss, assimilate and decide on various courses of action that must be taken on the gaming issue," he said.  "I believe that governance, real true democratic governance, is about adhering to the will of the people…The Bahamas cannot be standoffish."

Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe, who is responsible for gaming, also supports the introduction of a national lottery.

He has already revealed that 60 percent of the adult population of The Bahamas spends anywhere from $1.8 million to $2 million both locally and abroad on games of chance each week, and that there are at least 45 illegal gambling houses in New Providence and 12 in Grand Bahama.

"Our choices are very clear," Minister Wilchcombe has said.  "We must either strengthen the penalties for this illegal activity or we must find the formula to introduce a national lottery."

Mr. Gibson said on Tuesday that he expects that the new report will soon be made public.