Contractors 'eagerly' awaiting word from PM on Baha Mar
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas Contractors' Association is "eagerly" awaiting word from the prime minister on his high-level meetings with the Chinese financiers of the $2.6 billion Baha Mar project.
Head of the association Stephen Wrinkle was hopeful that the matter would be discussed at length in the House of Assembly today. However a clerk in Parliament told The Tribune that the House of Assembly will not meet again until November 17.
"I guess everyone is eagerly awaiting his report. Once Cabinet is advised I would assume they would make their findings known in House of Assembly (today)," said BCA president Wrinkle yesterday.
The prime minister met with members of the BCA a day before he left for his official visit to China and took stock of their group's concerns, especially their push for increased Bahamian labour incorporated into Baha Mar, transfer of knowledge from skilled Chinese workers to Bahamian labourers and greater funding allocated to train locals working on the project.
"He took those along with him and hopefully he brings back good news," said Mr Wrinkle.
Mr Ingraham returned from his trip to China - after stopping in Barbados to attend the funeral of Prime Minister David Thompson - last Friday.
He has been quiet on what transpired during that trip.
However, Mr Wrinkle expects to hear positive news.
"We always expect to hear good news, we're hopeful, I know the prime minister and his delegation did his best to (negotiate) the best deal possible and whatever he's done, we'll take it and run with it," he said.
The Tribune understands that compromises "may have been reached" between Mr Ingraham and the Chinese over the concerns he has voiced about the level of Chinese labour participation in the Baha Mar project and the single phase of construction involved.
According to information reaching The Tribune last week, there were three "points of compromise" arrived at between Mr Ingraham during meetings with the China State Construction Company - the general contractor for the $2.6 billion Baha Mar resort development - and officials from the China Import Export Bank in Beijing.
One of these compromises is said to be that a larger quantity of construction work and related dollars will go to Bahamian contractors.
Two other negotiated points were that more funding - in the hundreds of millions of dollars - would be allocated towards the training of Bahamian workers and the transferring of skills/knowledge during the project and the proposal that while it would be built in one phase, the resort's six hotels would "open in phases."
November 10, 2010
tribune242
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Bahamians who wish to gamble away some of their money in The Bahamas should be allowed to do so by law
Number-Houses Should Pay More
The Bahama Journal Editorial
By way of this commentary, today we insist that those who make it their business to sell numbers or any other games of chance should have their businesses taxed.
Revenues earned by the government could then be made available for socially useful projects. We believe that such a move would go a long way towards helping our society move forward.
While there are Bahamians who think otherwise, we say to them that there is no reason – morally or otherwise based – that would support the conclusion that the views of one fragment of this society could ever become the commonsense and law for the majority.
And so today we reiterate a point previously made when we suggested that, “…Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham is surely to be applauded for saying… that his administration might be minded to bring legislation forward that would legalize gambling…”
As we suggested then, “…Such a move would bring an end to an “illicit” industry that makes tens of millions of dollars a year and which employs hundreds; but which contributes little to the general good of the Bahamian people…”
When asked about the effectiveness of laws on the books concerning lotteries and gambling, Mr. Ingraham indicated that, “…The reality is that it is not an enforceable law… There’s a web shop here and a web shop there, all over the island. Abaco is now like a city. [There] are web shops in Abaco, web shops in Bimini, web shops in Exuma. It’s nationwide."
The prime minister also noted that in 1998, the Commission on Crime considered it to be a national scandal that while some of these laws remain on the book they are notoriously flouted.
The prime minister said there are many casinos in The Bahamas – and he wasn’t referring to the one on Paradise Island, the one in Cable Beach, or any of the other legally operating casinos in The Bahamas.
"The reality is, Mr. Speaker, either change the law or you enforce it."
We agree.
We go further by suggesting that, gambling – whether legally or illegally conducted – is big business in The Bahamas.
It is also a fact of life in The Bahamas that there are people who do not and will not gamble whether every legal impediment is moved now, later or never.
This is so because they consider the matter wrong and not in their best interest. Interestingly, this logic applies to other types of morally wrongful behaviour.
Here we might use as an example that steamy sin that comes with the label adultery. The truth is that while this activity is sinful, it has not been criminalized; and we say, rightfully so.
By the same logic, those people who wish to gamble should be able to do so without fearing that they might – on some given day- be locked up.
In addition, there is no gainsaying the fact that, gambling – as it currently exists – does not provide the government as much money as it might.
It is also a fact of life in this country and in a slew of others around the world, that gambling is a national past-time. For some Bahamians, playing numbers has become a most welcome past-time.
We are told that there are clergy, police officers, lawyers, teachers, secretaries and a host of other so-called ordinary Bahamians who just love to gamble.
Clearly, most of these people wager for the fun of it all.
And so, the fact remains that, once given even half a chance, there are very many people who are prepared to spend some of their hard-earned money on gambling and games.
Some of these people play these games for the sheer fun of it; while there are some others who play to win; but no matter why they do so, there are people who pay –as they say- to play.
Popular lore is rife with anecdotes concerning how this or that person struck it rich after playing their favorite number or who might have won a little fortune by playing the Power-ball.
But even as we take note of these facts of life; there are other stories that turn on some of gambling’s supposedly deleterious side-effects; with these supposedly inclusive of any number of challenges facing families as they try to balance their family budgets.
In addition, we know it for a fact that, there are some religiously inclined Bahamians who decry this national past-time; this because they believe that it is a bane and an outright evil.
While these people do have a right to their views; they should also reason and thereafter understand that, they too are called to recognize that, Caesar is to be paid in his own coin.
And for sure, Bahamians who wish to gamble away some of their money should be allowed to do so.
November 11th, 2010
The Bahama Journal Editorial
The Bahama Journal Editorial
By way of this commentary, today we insist that those who make it their business to sell numbers or any other games of chance should have their businesses taxed.
Revenues earned by the government could then be made available for socially useful projects. We believe that such a move would go a long way towards helping our society move forward.
While there are Bahamians who think otherwise, we say to them that there is no reason – morally or otherwise based – that would support the conclusion that the views of one fragment of this society could ever become the commonsense and law for the majority.
And so today we reiterate a point previously made when we suggested that, “…Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham is surely to be applauded for saying… that his administration might be minded to bring legislation forward that would legalize gambling…”
As we suggested then, “…Such a move would bring an end to an “illicit” industry that makes tens of millions of dollars a year and which employs hundreds; but which contributes little to the general good of the Bahamian people…”
When asked about the effectiveness of laws on the books concerning lotteries and gambling, Mr. Ingraham indicated that, “…The reality is that it is not an enforceable law… There’s a web shop here and a web shop there, all over the island. Abaco is now like a city. [There] are web shops in Abaco, web shops in Bimini, web shops in Exuma. It’s nationwide."
The prime minister also noted that in 1998, the Commission on Crime considered it to be a national scandal that while some of these laws remain on the book they are notoriously flouted.
The prime minister said there are many casinos in The Bahamas – and he wasn’t referring to the one on Paradise Island, the one in Cable Beach, or any of the other legally operating casinos in The Bahamas.
"The reality is, Mr. Speaker, either change the law or you enforce it."
We agree.
We go further by suggesting that, gambling – whether legally or illegally conducted – is big business in The Bahamas.
It is also a fact of life in The Bahamas that there are people who do not and will not gamble whether every legal impediment is moved now, later or never.
This is so because they consider the matter wrong and not in their best interest. Interestingly, this logic applies to other types of morally wrongful behaviour.
Here we might use as an example that steamy sin that comes with the label adultery. The truth is that while this activity is sinful, it has not been criminalized; and we say, rightfully so.
By the same logic, those people who wish to gamble should be able to do so without fearing that they might – on some given day- be locked up.
In addition, there is no gainsaying the fact that, gambling – as it currently exists – does not provide the government as much money as it might.
It is also a fact of life in this country and in a slew of others around the world, that gambling is a national past-time. For some Bahamians, playing numbers has become a most welcome past-time.
We are told that there are clergy, police officers, lawyers, teachers, secretaries and a host of other so-called ordinary Bahamians who just love to gamble.
Clearly, most of these people wager for the fun of it all.
And so, the fact remains that, once given even half a chance, there are very many people who are prepared to spend some of their hard-earned money on gambling and games.
Some of these people play these games for the sheer fun of it; while there are some others who play to win; but no matter why they do so, there are people who pay –as they say- to play.
Popular lore is rife with anecdotes concerning how this or that person struck it rich after playing their favorite number or who might have won a little fortune by playing the Power-ball.
But even as we take note of these facts of life; there are other stories that turn on some of gambling’s supposedly deleterious side-effects; with these supposedly inclusive of any number of challenges facing families as they try to balance their family budgets.
In addition, we know it for a fact that, there are some religiously inclined Bahamians who decry this national past-time; this because they believe that it is a bane and an outright evil.
While these people do have a right to their views; they should also reason and thereafter understand that, they too are called to recognize that, Caesar is to be paid in his own coin.
And for sure, Bahamians who wish to gamble away some of their money should be allowed to do so.
November 11th, 2010
The Bahama Journal Editorial
The Baha Mar project hangs in the balance
Chinese consider Baha Mar changes
By CANDIA DAMES Guardian News Editor
candia@nasguard.com
Gov’t presses for $500 million in work for subcontractors
The much-touted $2.6 billion Baha Mar project planned for Cable Beach is hanging in the balance as the government awaits word from the company’s Chinese partners on whether they will make fundamental changes to the deal.
The Nassau Guardian can confirm that the government is waiting on the Chinese to say whether they would agree to Bahamian subcontractors getting up to $500 million of the work, as opposed to the $200 million in work currently envisioned in the deal.
It would mean a stronger involvement of Bahamians on the project, something Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has been insisting on.
It is understood that Ingraham has also asked the Chinese to agree to a phased development as opposed to a one phase project.
The Guardian has learnt that the government expects an answer from the Chinese on these issues by the end of November. Baha Mar officials had hoped to break ground on their development by then, but that appears unlikely.
Until such time, the Baha Mar resolution — which the government had intended to debate many weeks back — will remain on the shelf in Parliament.
Ingraham told The Nassau Guardian in Beijing late last month that the government expects to have an answer for Baha Mar by the end of 2010.
The prime minister, who returned to Nassau late last week from his travels, has been quiet on his discussions with officials of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation and the China Export-Import Bank.
It remains unclear whether Baha Mar’s request for more than 8,000 work permits will be adjusted.
Not long before he travelled to China, Ingraham stressed that there were certain points the government was not prepared to budge on as it related to the project.
“There are two things that stick in our craw and we want to be able to digest the project and it is difficult to digest it with these things sticking across here,” he said, pointing to his throat.
Apart from the labor issue, Ingraham referred to Baha Mar’s plan to build the massive project at Cable Beach in one phase with a planned 2014 completion.
He said those are “major issues, like a big bone”. The prime minister added, “It has to be fixed.”
“To do the project in a one, single-phased development is not in our interest, and it’s in our interest to have the development but not as a single-phased development. Regrettably, that is the position,” he said.
But Baha Mar CEO Sarkis Izmirlian told The Nassau Gaurdian recently that the one-phased approach was a condition of the financing.
Ingraham said prior to the China trip, “There is more than enough land between the Nassau Beach (Hotel) and the land owned by Baha Mar east of the Nassau Beach for them to construct their 1,000 room hotel, their casino and whatever else they want to construct and open it.
“And nothing prevents them from building the others at the same time. There’s no need whatsoever for all to be built and opened at the same time. That is not in our interest. That may well be in the interest of the financiers, the construction company and the owners of the project, but what about our interest? It is not in our interest.”
Ingraham said while in Beijing, just prior to his meetings, that he expected the Chinese would be receptive to the government’s position.
The prime minister is expected to announce adjustments to Baha Mar’s plans in Parliament after the government hears from the Chinese partners.
11/10/2010
thenassauguardian
By CANDIA DAMES Guardian News Editor
candia@nasguard.com
Gov’t presses for $500 million in work for subcontractors
The much-touted $2.6 billion Baha Mar project planned for Cable Beach is hanging in the balance as the government awaits word from the company’s Chinese partners on whether they will make fundamental changes to the deal.
The Nassau Guardian can confirm that the government is waiting on the Chinese to say whether they would agree to Bahamian subcontractors getting up to $500 million of the work, as opposed to the $200 million in work currently envisioned in the deal.
It would mean a stronger involvement of Bahamians on the project, something Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has been insisting on.
It is understood that Ingraham has also asked the Chinese to agree to a phased development as opposed to a one phase project.
The Guardian has learnt that the government expects an answer from the Chinese on these issues by the end of November. Baha Mar officials had hoped to break ground on their development by then, but that appears unlikely.
Until such time, the Baha Mar resolution — which the government had intended to debate many weeks back — will remain on the shelf in Parliament.
Ingraham told The Nassau Guardian in Beijing late last month that the government expects to have an answer for Baha Mar by the end of 2010.
The prime minister, who returned to Nassau late last week from his travels, has been quiet on his discussions with officials of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation and the China Export-Import Bank.
It remains unclear whether Baha Mar’s request for more than 8,000 work permits will be adjusted.
Not long before he travelled to China, Ingraham stressed that there were certain points the government was not prepared to budge on as it related to the project.
“There are two things that stick in our craw and we want to be able to digest the project and it is difficult to digest it with these things sticking across here,” he said, pointing to his throat.
Apart from the labor issue, Ingraham referred to Baha Mar’s plan to build the massive project at Cable Beach in one phase with a planned 2014 completion.
He said those are “major issues, like a big bone”. The prime minister added, “It has to be fixed.”
“To do the project in a one, single-phased development is not in our interest, and it’s in our interest to have the development but not as a single-phased development. Regrettably, that is the position,” he said.
But Baha Mar CEO Sarkis Izmirlian told The Nassau Gaurdian recently that the one-phased approach was a condition of the financing.
Ingraham said prior to the China trip, “There is more than enough land between the Nassau Beach (Hotel) and the land owned by Baha Mar east of the Nassau Beach for them to construct their 1,000 room hotel, their casino and whatever else they want to construct and open it.
“And nothing prevents them from building the others at the same time. There’s no need whatsoever for all to be built and opened at the same time. That is not in our interest. That may well be in the interest of the financiers, the construction company and the owners of the project, but what about our interest? It is not in our interest.”
Ingraham said while in Beijing, just prior to his meetings, that he expected the Chinese would be receptive to the government’s position.
The prime minister is expected to announce adjustments to Baha Mar’s plans in Parliament after the government hears from the Chinese partners.
11/10/2010
thenassauguardian
There is an extraordinary pool of Bahamian talent overseas waiting to be tapped
Bring Home Bahamian Talent
by Simon
The Bahamas has various agencies dedicated to attracting overseas investments, including the Bahamas Maritime Authority which recently opened its third overseas office. Today, the country enjoys one of the more successful international ship registries. That success is measured by both gross tonnage and attention to high international standards.
Our diplomatic missions also promote The Bahamas as an attractive destination for international business and foreign capital. However, the country’s lead investment arm is The Bahamas Investment Authority. Its website notes:
“The proactive economic growth and development policies of the government of the Bahamas are guided by The Bahamas Investment Authority (BIA), established to "cut red tape and lay out the red carpet" for investors. Operating from the Office of the Prime Minister, the BIA has been designated as a "one-stop shop" designed to simplify investing in The Bahamas.”
The attraction of such capital is essential to economic growth. So too is the cultivation of another source of capital. Just as foreign direct investment is critical to national development, so is tapping into a wealth of Bahamian talent overseas and the economic resources of this talent currently resident abroad.
A country’s success in the global commons and marketplace is dependent on attracting a dynamic mix of financial and human capital from around the world. There is the story, perhaps apocryphal, about an employee in one of the Rockefeller brother’s firms who stared through a window year after year, seemingly accomplishing very little.
Exasperated and envious at the high salary the apparent daydreamer drew, with nothing to show for it, some employees complained bitterly and often to Rockefeller. Fed up with the relentless carping, the business titan unleashed a furious response: “That man gave me an idea once that made me millions of dollars. I’m waiting for his second idea!”
ARDUOUS
The search for good international talent is arduous and highly competitive. Even more developed countries with large pools to draw on vigorously compete for world class human capital. So must a much smaller Bahamas.
The College of The Bahamas engaged an international educational search agency to coordinate its search for a new president. As is usual in such searches, the process has taken some time and is relatively expensive. This is typical in the global hunt for prime talent.
A friend of a friend runs an international search agency that helps high-tech firms to find senior executives. With only three successful placements a year she earns nearly a million dollars. But her work is considerably harder than one might think. Still, her fees are a proverbial drop in the bucket as the incoming talent may earn their new firms many times the expenses incurred in the scouting process.
Quality education remains one of our primary developmental challenges. This includes general retraining for current Bahamian workers. It also includes educating and getting high level professionals and entrepreneurs to remain at or return home. This is no easy challenge for various reasons. But it is getting easier.
Asked about the reasons for the success of the Union Army in the U.S. Civil War, Abraham Lincoln had a quick reply: leadership. He was referring to the strategic and tactical brilliance of Ulysses S. Grant, who Lincoln found after firing general after failed general.
Lincoln intuitively appreciated that all other things being relatively equal, superior human capital is indispensable for great success. This is certainly the case in terms of what The Bahamas will need if we wish to be a regional and global centre of excellence in various areas.
Even as we address our problems, we should celebrate our success, championing Bahamians of excellence who combine native wisdom and world class abilities to meet and surpass international standards.
CHAMPIONS
Many of these Bahamian champions have been contributing to national development for some time, while others have more recently returned home. And, there are yet others who need to be identified and actively recruited in our search for top-notch talent.
Ian Hepburn and his Providence Technologies offer first class information technology solutions. Providence became the first Bahamian-owned company to manage the Ministry of Tourism’s web presence and is also the first Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in the country.
Dwight Higgs and his 20-year-old company, Superior Maintenance, has provided general contracting and hotel maintenance for numerous projects at Atlantis. His firm managed the construction of St. Anselm’s Church in Fox Hill, which is one of the finest built churches in the country, combining world-class artistry in its design and construction. It is a thing of beauty.
In recognition of his superior work and extraordinary generosity, Roman Catholic Archbishop Patrick Pinder recently dedicated “Higgs Way” at the new Aquinas College in honour of Mr. Higgs. Aquinas is but one of the many projects he has brought to life with great passion and dedication.
Today, our wealth of Bahamian world-class talent like Ian Hepburn and Dwight Higgs is being boosted by Bahamian talent overseas now returning home to make a good living as well as a contribution to national development.
An educator, fluent in French, and with a law degree and considerable international experience, Mrs. Joy Jibrilu returned to The Bahamas to help the country attract foreign investment. By her example she may also help to attract similarly talented Bahamians with global exposure.
Like Mrs. Jibrilu, there is an extraordinary pool of Bahamian talent overseas waiting to be tapped. Therese Turner Jones, a senior official at the World Bank and Dr. Darien Davis of Middlebury College, a Latin American scholar fluent in Portuguese, are both internationally recognized in their respective fields.
NECESSITY
An increasing number of Bahamian professionals are returning home for a variety of reasons. Necessity also being the mother of reinvention, some have returned to The Bahamas to take advantage of opportunities not as easily found abroad following the global economic meltdown.
Opportunities abound for Bahamians with the skill sets, including language skills, necessary to fill prime vacancies in areas ranging from international banking to environmental management services to graphic design.
Still, while some Bahamians may return home permanently, others may choose to capitalize on various opportunities as consultants, though remaining abroad. Yet others are hungry for investment possibilities.
So, just as the country vigorously pursues foreign investment, it should also pursue Bahamian capital overseas, both financial and human. But this cannot be done on an ad hoc basis.
It must be a deliberate, consistent policy, including the creation of an international data bank of Bahamians overseas interested in investing their time, talent and resources in a Bahamian economy exploding with extraordinary potential, despite the current economic difficulties.
Such an idea, of course, is not new. Indeed, a number of efforts are being made in this direction by public officials and private groups. What may be required is heightened cooperation and a more vigorous marketing and recruitment programme geared towards this offshore Bahamian capital.
In a future column we will explore ways that we can repatriate some of this overseas Bahamian talent and treasure to a growing and globalized Bahamian economy with much of its dynamism and potential yet untapped.
November 09, 2010
bahamapundit
by Simon
The Bahamas has various agencies dedicated to attracting overseas investments, including the Bahamas Maritime Authority which recently opened its third overseas office. Today, the country enjoys one of the more successful international ship registries. That success is measured by both gross tonnage and attention to high international standards.
Our diplomatic missions also promote The Bahamas as an attractive destination for international business and foreign capital. However, the country’s lead investment arm is The Bahamas Investment Authority. Its website notes:
“The proactive economic growth and development policies of the government of the Bahamas are guided by The Bahamas Investment Authority (BIA), established to "cut red tape and lay out the red carpet" for investors. Operating from the Office of the Prime Minister, the BIA has been designated as a "one-stop shop" designed to simplify investing in The Bahamas.”
The attraction of such capital is essential to economic growth. So too is the cultivation of another source of capital. Just as foreign direct investment is critical to national development, so is tapping into a wealth of Bahamian talent overseas and the economic resources of this talent currently resident abroad.
A country’s success in the global commons and marketplace is dependent on attracting a dynamic mix of financial and human capital from around the world. There is the story, perhaps apocryphal, about an employee in one of the Rockefeller brother’s firms who stared through a window year after year, seemingly accomplishing very little.
Exasperated and envious at the high salary the apparent daydreamer drew, with nothing to show for it, some employees complained bitterly and often to Rockefeller. Fed up with the relentless carping, the business titan unleashed a furious response: “That man gave me an idea once that made me millions of dollars. I’m waiting for his second idea!”
ARDUOUS
The search for good international talent is arduous and highly competitive. Even more developed countries with large pools to draw on vigorously compete for world class human capital. So must a much smaller Bahamas.
The College of The Bahamas engaged an international educational search agency to coordinate its search for a new president. As is usual in such searches, the process has taken some time and is relatively expensive. This is typical in the global hunt for prime talent.
A friend of a friend runs an international search agency that helps high-tech firms to find senior executives. With only three successful placements a year she earns nearly a million dollars. But her work is considerably harder than one might think. Still, her fees are a proverbial drop in the bucket as the incoming talent may earn their new firms many times the expenses incurred in the scouting process.
Quality education remains one of our primary developmental challenges. This includes general retraining for current Bahamian workers. It also includes educating and getting high level professionals and entrepreneurs to remain at or return home. This is no easy challenge for various reasons. But it is getting easier.
Asked about the reasons for the success of the Union Army in the U.S. Civil War, Abraham Lincoln had a quick reply: leadership. He was referring to the strategic and tactical brilliance of Ulysses S. Grant, who Lincoln found after firing general after failed general.
Lincoln intuitively appreciated that all other things being relatively equal, superior human capital is indispensable for great success. This is certainly the case in terms of what The Bahamas will need if we wish to be a regional and global centre of excellence in various areas.
Even as we address our problems, we should celebrate our success, championing Bahamians of excellence who combine native wisdom and world class abilities to meet and surpass international standards.
CHAMPIONS
Many of these Bahamian champions have been contributing to national development for some time, while others have more recently returned home. And, there are yet others who need to be identified and actively recruited in our search for top-notch talent.
Ian Hepburn and his Providence Technologies offer first class information technology solutions. Providence became the first Bahamian-owned company to manage the Ministry of Tourism’s web presence and is also the first Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in the country.
Dwight Higgs and his 20-year-old company, Superior Maintenance, has provided general contracting and hotel maintenance for numerous projects at Atlantis. His firm managed the construction of St. Anselm’s Church in Fox Hill, which is one of the finest built churches in the country, combining world-class artistry in its design and construction. It is a thing of beauty.
In recognition of his superior work and extraordinary generosity, Roman Catholic Archbishop Patrick Pinder recently dedicated “Higgs Way” at the new Aquinas College in honour of Mr. Higgs. Aquinas is but one of the many projects he has brought to life with great passion and dedication.
Today, our wealth of Bahamian world-class talent like Ian Hepburn and Dwight Higgs is being boosted by Bahamian talent overseas now returning home to make a good living as well as a contribution to national development.
An educator, fluent in French, and with a law degree and considerable international experience, Mrs. Joy Jibrilu returned to The Bahamas to help the country attract foreign investment. By her example she may also help to attract similarly talented Bahamians with global exposure.
Like Mrs. Jibrilu, there is an extraordinary pool of Bahamian talent overseas waiting to be tapped. Therese Turner Jones, a senior official at the World Bank and Dr. Darien Davis of Middlebury College, a Latin American scholar fluent in Portuguese, are both internationally recognized in their respective fields.
NECESSITY
An increasing number of Bahamian professionals are returning home for a variety of reasons. Necessity also being the mother of reinvention, some have returned to The Bahamas to take advantage of opportunities not as easily found abroad following the global economic meltdown.
Opportunities abound for Bahamians with the skill sets, including language skills, necessary to fill prime vacancies in areas ranging from international banking to environmental management services to graphic design.
Still, while some Bahamians may return home permanently, others may choose to capitalize on various opportunities as consultants, though remaining abroad. Yet others are hungry for investment possibilities.
So, just as the country vigorously pursues foreign investment, it should also pursue Bahamian capital overseas, both financial and human. But this cannot be done on an ad hoc basis.
It must be a deliberate, consistent policy, including the creation of an international data bank of Bahamians overseas interested in investing their time, talent and resources in a Bahamian economy exploding with extraordinary potential, despite the current economic difficulties.
Such an idea, of course, is not new. Indeed, a number of efforts are being made in this direction by public officials and private groups. What may be required is heightened cooperation and a more vigorous marketing and recruitment programme geared towards this offshore Bahamian capital.
In a future column we will explore ways that we can repatriate some of this overseas Bahamian talent and treasure to a growing and globalized Bahamian economy with much of its dynamism and potential yet untapped.
November 09, 2010
bahamapundit
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Ban foreign money from Bahamian elections
Ban foreign money from elections
thenassauguardian editorial
The Bahamas has been an independent country for 37 years. Majority rule came about in 1967. Since these two landmark events, our leaders have not seen the need to create rules surrounding election financing.
And we the people have not demanded that these rules be created.
Currently a slack system exists. Anyone with a bag of money can give that money to any politician or political party. And that’s that.
There is no public disclosure required. There is no accountability by politicians or political parties.
It has been rumored – and these rumors are likely true – that drug dealers, foreign investors seeking favors and foreign governments have given money to candidates and political parties in The Bahamas in the past.
Campaign finance reform has many components. We shall focus on three areas.
As a start to a process that should have begun a long time ago, The Bahamas should ban foreign money from its elections. It should also require public disclosure of donations over a certain level. And, a constitutionally independent electoral commission should be established to oversee the election process.
In democracies, only citizens can vote. Election contributions are powerful tools of influence. Money in elections is just as powerful as the process of voting, as it pays for advertising, which influences thought and behavior.
If foreigners cannot vote, they should not be allowed to sit on the sideline and influence who is elected in order to satisfy their own set of narrow interests.
According to the Federal Election Commission in the United States, a ban on foreign contributions to elections came about in 1966 in that country.
The second step to reform should be disclosure. In The Bahamas people give money to political parties. Then they get contracts when the party wins government. The bigger the donation, the bigger the contract received.
If a rule exists that makes public all donations over a certain amount, it would be harder for parties to simply share out state resources to friends.
A website should exist with the audited books of political parties, allowing citizens and the media to scrutinize who has given money to whom and what favors were received in return.
To oversee these initial reforms, it would be necessary to create a constitutional electoral commission.
If the rules governing the commission are not enshrined in the constitution, politicians will interfere with the body to ensure it cannot regulate the system.
The body should be led by a judge – someone with high integrity who has demonstrated impartiality.
The commission should be appointed by an extraordinary vote of Parliament – two-thirds or more – and it should be comprised of other similarly impartial people.
Additionally, an automatic funding mechanism should be set up to ensure the commission is adequately funded. Otherwise, the parties would ensure the commission does not have enough money to carry out its mandate.
These few steps are a mere beginning to campaign finance reform in The Bahamas. Being allowed to vote is only a small part of the democratic process. It is necessary to put these reforms in place so governments are accountable to all the people once elected, rather than the few who fund them.
thenassauguardian editorial
thenassauguardian editorial
The Bahamas has been an independent country for 37 years. Majority rule came about in 1967. Since these two landmark events, our leaders have not seen the need to create rules surrounding election financing.
And we the people have not demanded that these rules be created.
Currently a slack system exists. Anyone with a bag of money can give that money to any politician or political party. And that’s that.
There is no public disclosure required. There is no accountability by politicians or political parties.
It has been rumored – and these rumors are likely true – that drug dealers, foreign investors seeking favors and foreign governments have given money to candidates and political parties in The Bahamas in the past.
Campaign finance reform has many components. We shall focus on three areas.
As a start to a process that should have begun a long time ago, The Bahamas should ban foreign money from its elections. It should also require public disclosure of donations over a certain level. And, a constitutionally independent electoral commission should be established to oversee the election process.
In democracies, only citizens can vote. Election contributions are powerful tools of influence. Money in elections is just as powerful as the process of voting, as it pays for advertising, which influences thought and behavior.
If foreigners cannot vote, they should not be allowed to sit on the sideline and influence who is elected in order to satisfy their own set of narrow interests.
According to the Federal Election Commission in the United States, a ban on foreign contributions to elections came about in 1966 in that country.
The second step to reform should be disclosure. In The Bahamas people give money to political parties. Then they get contracts when the party wins government. The bigger the donation, the bigger the contract received.
If a rule exists that makes public all donations over a certain amount, it would be harder for parties to simply share out state resources to friends.
A website should exist with the audited books of political parties, allowing citizens and the media to scrutinize who has given money to whom and what favors were received in return.
To oversee these initial reforms, it would be necessary to create a constitutional electoral commission.
If the rules governing the commission are not enshrined in the constitution, politicians will interfere with the body to ensure it cannot regulate the system.
The body should be led by a judge – someone with high integrity who has demonstrated impartiality.
The commission should be appointed by an extraordinary vote of Parliament – two-thirds or more – and it should be comprised of other similarly impartial people.
Additionally, an automatic funding mechanism should be set up to ensure the commission is adequately funded. Otherwise, the parties would ensure the commission does not have enough money to carry out its mandate.
These few steps are a mere beginning to campaign finance reform in The Bahamas. Being allowed to vote is only a small part of the democratic process. It is necessary to put these reforms in place so governments are accountable to all the people once elected, rather than the few who fund them.
thenassauguardian editorial
PLP leader Perry Christie is at odds with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham over Baha Mar Resort construction phases
Christie at odds with PM over six planned Baha Mar hotels
tribune242
PLP leader Perry Christie is at odds with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham over his belief that the six hotels which are to be built as part of the Baha Mar Resort should be built or opened in phases.
Mr Christie said it would only increase the cost of the project to break down the construction into phases, and would make little sense for the resort developers not to open all of the hotels at the same time if they were all constructed simultaneously.
Information reaching The Tribune is that Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham may have asked the Chinese if the hotels could be built in phases rather than all at once or that if this could not be accommodated, that they would open in a phased manner.
But Mr Christie said that considering the fact that so much money was being borrowed to fund the hotels' construction it would "not make sense to have hotels sitting there that they couldn't sell", referring to the ability to sell rooms within the hotels once they are completed.
And he added that the size of the Baha Mar development was one of the reasons for the re-development of the Lynden Pindling International Airport.
Studies
"Don't forget, Baha Mar engaged a company to do studies which concluded that both the Baha Mar development and Atlantis can co-exist/be developed at the same time," said Mr Christie.
Meanwhile, Mr Christie also told The Tribune that he understands that coming out of the Prime Minister's meetings with Baha Mar financiers, China Export Import Bank and the China State Construction Company, its general contractor, an arrangement may have been reached whereby the Bahamian labour component on the construction project would be increased by ten per cent, with 40 per cent Bahamian and 60 per cent Chinese labour.
Some sources had suggested Mr Ingraham had sought to negotiate a $200million increase in the amount of funding that will go to Bahamian contractors in connection with the project.
"The Prime Minister, I presume upon his return, will advise the country as to whether or not he was able to succeed in these discussions," said Mr Christie last week.
Stephen Wrinkle, President of the Bahamas Contractors Association, said yesterday that prior to Mr Ingraham leaving for China he told the BCA in a meeting that he would seek to increase the Bahamian content of the labour force and get more work for Bahamian contractors as part of the Baha Mar project.
"We have to ensure we've got the quantity of the workers and the dollar value comes to the contractors and not just payrolls," said Mr Wrinkle yesterday.
The contractor added that as the industry awaits an announcement on what was the outcome of any efforts on behalf of Mr Ingraham to achieve this end, the BCA continues to dialogue with Baha Mar and BTVI on training workers so they are prepared "at such time as when the facts and figures emerge".
"We know there will be a Bahamian content in the labour force and the project and we are continuing to focus our efforts on preparing our workers and contractors so if the work the Prime Minister is doing comes to fruition we will be able to presentable work force for project," said Mr Wrinkle.
November 08, 2010
tribune242
tribune242
PLP leader Perry Christie is at odds with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham over his belief that the six hotels which are to be built as part of the Baha Mar Resort should be built or opened in phases.
Mr Christie said it would only increase the cost of the project to break down the construction into phases, and would make little sense for the resort developers not to open all of the hotels at the same time if they were all constructed simultaneously.
Information reaching The Tribune is that Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham may have asked the Chinese if the hotels could be built in phases rather than all at once or that if this could not be accommodated, that they would open in a phased manner.
But Mr Christie said that considering the fact that so much money was being borrowed to fund the hotels' construction it would "not make sense to have hotels sitting there that they couldn't sell", referring to the ability to sell rooms within the hotels once they are completed.
And he added that the size of the Baha Mar development was one of the reasons for the re-development of the Lynden Pindling International Airport.
Studies
"Don't forget, Baha Mar engaged a company to do studies which concluded that both the Baha Mar development and Atlantis can co-exist/be developed at the same time," said Mr Christie.
Meanwhile, Mr Christie also told The Tribune that he understands that coming out of the Prime Minister's meetings with Baha Mar financiers, China Export Import Bank and the China State Construction Company, its general contractor, an arrangement may have been reached whereby the Bahamian labour component on the construction project would be increased by ten per cent, with 40 per cent Bahamian and 60 per cent Chinese labour.
Some sources had suggested Mr Ingraham had sought to negotiate a $200million increase in the amount of funding that will go to Bahamian contractors in connection with the project.
"The Prime Minister, I presume upon his return, will advise the country as to whether or not he was able to succeed in these discussions," said Mr Christie last week.
Stephen Wrinkle, President of the Bahamas Contractors Association, said yesterday that prior to Mr Ingraham leaving for China he told the BCA in a meeting that he would seek to increase the Bahamian content of the labour force and get more work for Bahamian contractors as part of the Baha Mar project.
"We have to ensure we've got the quantity of the workers and the dollar value comes to the contractors and not just payrolls," said Mr Wrinkle yesterday.
The contractor added that as the industry awaits an announcement on what was the outcome of any efforts on behalf of Mr Ingraham to achieve this end, the BCA continues to dialogue with Baha Mar and BTVI on training workers so they are prepared "at such time as when the facts and figures emerge".
"We know there will be a Bahamian content in the labour force and the project and we are continuing to focus our efforts on preparing our workers and contractors so if the work the Prime Minister is doing comes to fruition we will be able to presentable work force for project," said Mr Wrinkle.
November 08, 2010
tribune242
Monday, November 8, 2010
Those who did the harm to the fine folks currently in disputed occupation on lands owned by Arawak Homes should be brought to justice
Arawak Homes; Truth and Facts
By Felix Bethel
jonesbahamas
Regrettably, the Wilson family, Arawak Homes and some of their business associates have become and now stand as objects of scorn and easy vilification by many Bahamians who cling to their misguided views concerning some acreages of land in Pinewood Gardens that clearly belong to Arawak Homes.
This matter begs for a solution that might well be compared with one such that could be made by a modern-day Solomon; such a one that would recognize the views, values and aspirations of those people who were duped, ripped off and otherwise abused by any number of fraudsters.
While we know it for a fact that, Mr. Franklyn R. Wilson, his family and Arawak Homes have what it takes to defend themselves, we would like – for the sake of the record- to tell the public that, we abhor some of the most recent attempts made to demonize this man, his business and his family. For quite some time now, Mr. Wilson, his family and very many of his business associates have been the intended victims of any number of slurs, charges, innuendoes and a host of unfortunate characterizations – which taken together – amount to one of the nastiest cases of collective character assassination in today’s Bahamas.
This latest effort comes on the heels of some of Arawak Homes’ legitimate attempts to take full and free possession of lands that belong to them – as attested and affirmed by the highest courts in our land.
Were we living in a place where good sense and the rule of law happened to be the order of the day, this would have been the end of the matter as far as Arawak Homes and its principals were concerned.
As for the gangsters who duped the poor; those whose duty it is to ferret out and bring to justice such crooks should be given the time, the resources and other materiel needed to bring them all before the courts.
It is incontestably factual that, "Blatant fraud and dishonesty" have left scores of Bahamians without good title to their homes on a 150-acre tract of land near Pinewood Gardens…”
We also know that it is a fact that, some of this fraud’s perpetrators have gone so far as to falsify a Supreme Court judge's order in an apparent bid to cover their tracks.
In addition, we know that, in at least two Supreme Court judgments, we find a classic tale of how a greedy group hiding behind the name Horizon Systems, aided and abetted by unscrupulous attorneys, have exploited poor, unsuspecting Bahamians for their own financial gain.
In this regard, note that, in one of the said judgments –as rendered by former Senior Justice John Lyons on November 7, 2003 – there is evidence galore to show that John Sands, aided by his attorney Leon Smith, of Smith, Smith & Co, fraudulently induced the Supreme Court to issue him a Certificate of Title to the 156-acre tract on November 30, 1990, via a Quieting Titles action.
We also know that, it was precisely this Certificate of Title, which was set aside by the Supreme Court; with such “titles” being of absolutely no value. And for sure, these rulings do show that Arawak Homes has good title to the land; and that the real grievance the homeowners do have is with the fraudsters who sold them land in the first place.
Evidently, those people who used attorneys to conduct title searches are best placed to recover their money; this because they can sue those lawyers for negligence and claim against their professional indemnity insurance. As regards the second judgment, delivered by Supreme Court Justice Hartman Longley, it was found that within a week of obtaining his fraudulent Certificate of Title, John Sands had conveyed the entire 156 acres of land to Horizon Systems for a collective $107,000.
Mr. Leon Smith acted for both seller and purchaser.
This action was in clear breach of a 1991 Supreme Court injunction preventing Mr. John Sands from selling any part of the 156 acres in question. Clearly, then, this means that both Mr. Sands and Horizon Systems were then in blatant contempt of the court.
But as telling happens to be the fact that, Horizon Systems then, according to Justice Longley's ruling, began selling lots to Bahamians, many of whom were relatively poor and lacked the means to pay attorneys to conduct title searches on their behalf.
Here the bottom line is that, Justice Longley had already ruled that Horizon Systems had not and did not acquire any title or interest in the 156 acres as a result of the original fraud; thus the issuance of an injunction against it to prevent it from selling any more lots.
At this juncture, then, there is a crying need for those who continue to bay at the Wilson family to cease and desist; and for those who did the harm to the fine folks currently in disputed occupation on lands owned by Arawak Homes to be brought to justice.
November 9th. 2010
jonesbahamas
By Felix Bethel
jonesbahamas
Regrettably, the Wilson family, Arawak Homes and some of their business associates have become and now stand as objects of scorn and easy vilification by many Bahamians who cling to their misguided views concerning some acreages of land in Pinewood Gardens that clearly belong to Arawak Homes.
This matter begs for a solution that might well be compared with one such that could be made by a modern-day Solomon; such a one that would recognize the views, values and aspirations of those people who were duped, ripped off and otherwise abused by any number of fraudsters.
While we know it for a fact that, Mr. Franklyn R. Wilson, his family and Arawak Homes have what it takes to defend themselves, we would like – for the sake of the record- to tell the public that, we abhor some of the most recent attempts made to demonize this man, his business and his family. For quite some time now, Mr. Wilson, his family and very many of his business associates have been the intended victims of any number of slurs, charges, innuendoes and a host of unfortunate characterizations – which taken together – amount to one of the nastiest cases of collective character assassination in today’s Bahamas.
This latest effort comes on the heels of some of Arawak Homes’ legitimate attempts to take full and free possession of lands that belong to them – as attested and affirmed by the highest courts in our land.
Were we living in a place where good sense and the rule of law happened to be the order of the day, this would have been the end of the matter as far as Arawak Homes and its principals were concerned.
As for the gangsters who duped the poor; those whose duty it is to ferret out and bring to justice such crooks should be given the time, the resources and other materiel needed to bring them all before the courts.
It is incontestably factual that, "Blatant fraud and dishonesty" have left scores of Bahamians without good title to their homes on a 150-acre tract of land near Pinewood Gardens…”
We also know that it is a fact that, some of this fraud’s perpetrators have gone so far as to falsify a Supreme Court judge's order in an apparent bid to cover their tracks.
In addition, we know that, in at least two Supreme Court judgments, we find a classic tale of how a greedy group hiding behind the name Horizon Systems, aided and abetted by unscrupulous attorneys, have exploited poor, unsuspecting Bahamians for their own financial gain.
In this regard, note that, in one of the said judgments –as rendered by former Senior Justice John Lyons on November 7, 2003 – there is evidence galore to show that John Sands, aided by his attorney Leon Smith, of Smith, Smith & Co, fraudulently induced the Supreme Court to issue him a Certificate of Title to the 156-acre tract on November 30, 1990, via a Quieting Titles action.
We also know that, it was precisely this Certificate of Title, which was set aside by the Supreme Court; with such “titles” being of absolutely no value. And for sure, these rulings do show that Arawak Homes has good title to the land; and that the real grievance the homeowners do have is with the fraudsters who sold them land in the first place.
Evidently, those people who used attorneys to conduct title searches are best placed to recover their money; this because they can sue those lawyers for negligence and claim against their professional indemnity insurance. As regards the second judgment, delivered by Supreme Court Justice Hartman Longley, it was found that within a week of obtaining his fraudulent Certificate of Title, John Sands had conveyed the entire 156 acres of land to Horizon Systems for a collective $107,000.
Mr. Leon Smith acted for both seller and purchaser.
This action was in clear breach of a 1991 Supreme Court injunction preventing Mr. John Sands from selling any part of the 156 acres in question. Clearly, then, this means that both Mr. Sands and Horizon Systems were then in blatant contempt of the court.
But as telling happens to be the fact that, Horizon Systems then, according to Justice Longley's ruling, began selling lots to Bahamians, many of whom were relatively poor and lacked the means to pay attorneys to conduct title searches on their behalf.
Here the bottom line is that, Justice Longley had already ruled that Horizon Systems had not and did not acquire any title or interest in the 156 acres as a result of the original fraud; thus the issuance of an injunction against it to prevent it from selling any more lots.
At this juncture, then, there is a crying need for those who continue to bay at the Wilson family to cease and desist; and for those who did the harm to the fine folks currently in disputed occupation on lands owned by Arawak Homes to be brought to justice.
November 9th. 2010
jonesbahamas
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