Category Archives: Bahamas

Following its acquisition of Native Outfitters, its acquisition of Incite, is adding an additional, $300,000.00 per quarter to BDCI's top line.

At the end of April, BDCI will begin reporting consolidated revenues for Native and Incite, which is expected to exceed $200,000. Without any additional external transactions, BDCI is expecting to be able to post over $2.4 million in sales for 2017.

Bahamas Development Corp. (OTC Pink: BDCI), is expecting to continue to grow both organically and through acquisition as the year progresses.

Upon the takeover of Native Outfitters BDCI revamped the operations, overhauled equipment, and streamlined procedures, to deliver a more efficient work place. The Company has noticed immediate results and expects improvements in productivity and profitability, to continue. Additionally, front-end operations, have been streamlined resulting in enhanced communication and logistics.

BDCI expects to cut delivery times by 2/3, increase production capacity by a minimum of 50%, and upgrade its IT systems to further increase output and decrease cost as the year continues.

Click here to review our Forward-Looking Statements

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bahamas-development-corp-bdci-releases-corporate-updates-300440091.html

SOURCE Bahamas Development Corporation

http://bahamasdevelopmentcorp.com

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Bahamas Development Corp. (BDCI) Releases Corporate Updates - PR Newswire (press release)

PHOTO: The Eleuthera Pineapple Festival is just one event going on in the Bahamas this year. (photo via Flickr/Kyle McDonald)

A getaway to the Bahamas is a fun-filled adventure that promises many highlights at any time of year. There are countless sights to see, and a long list of attractions to visit.

And while you are visiting this popular destination and staying at Superclubs Breezes Resort & Spas, its an added bonus if you can take advantage of the opportunity to join in on one or more of the exciting events that take place all throughout the year.

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Its a pretty sure bet that no matter when you may visit, there will be a number of fun things happening in the region.

In May, you can watch the action of the Long Island Regatta, in which dozens of sailing vessels will compete for coveted trophies. Spectators can also enjoy the related festivities such as music and carnivals.

Summer is filled with a seemingly nonstop series of events. Theres the Eleuthera Pineapple Festivala celebration of all things related to this popular tropical fruitfollowed by the Bahamas Summer Boating Fling/Flotilla in June. July kicks off with the Independence Week festivities, along with Annual Racing Time in Abaco, a weeklong regatta.

Emancipation Day is commemorated on the first Monday of August, around the same time as the Cat Island Regatta.

Odds are good that you can check out a sailing competition no matter when you visit the Bahamas. Theres the All Abaco Sailing Regatta in September, and the North Eleuthera Sailing Regatta in mid-October. Also in the middle of October, locals celebrate Discovery Day, marking the anniversary of the time when Christopher Columbus is said to have arrived in the New World.

October also brings the Great Bahamas Seafood and Heritage Festival, an event that celebrates both the local seafood bounty as well as all of the culture and traditions of the area.

November in Nassau offers a unique celebration for Guy Fawkes Day, when locals host bonfires as a way to burn effigies of the notorious conspirator who was said to be one of the masterminds behind a failed plot to blow up the British leadership, including the King.

READ MORE: New Patio Rooms Added To Breezes

That month also offers the Bimini Big Game Fishing Club All Wahoo Tournament, and the Annual One Bahamas Music & Heritage Festival, a three-day event that is packed with entertainment and social gatherings.

Needless to say, the year ends on a festive note, as there are plenty of holiday celebrations hosted all throughout the region. If you ever dreamed of spending the holidays in a warm-weather paradise, this is the perfect opportunity to make that wish come true.

This is also when locals mark one of the most anticipated events of the year, Junkanoo Boxing Day, which brings parades and parties.

Enjoy all of the activities and events in the Bahamas while staying in a relaxing, luxurious resort.

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Pick An Event, Any Event, In The Bahamas - TravelPulse

Of the 65 athletes ratified by the Bahamas Association of Athletics Associations (BAAA) to compete for Team Bahamas, at the 2017 Flow CARIFTA Games slated for April 15-17 in Willemstad, Curacao, one young Eleutheran, Sean Rolle from Preston H. Albury High School, made it through in grand style in the under 18 javelin. Sean is a member of the Golden Compass Track and Field Club in South Eleuthera.

Twenty Six (26) countries and territories in the region are expected to field more than 600 athletes atthe multi-purpose Ergilio Hato Stadium in the capital city of the Dutch Island for the traditional Easter weekend championships a meet considered the breeding ground for many world-class athletes from the region.

In 2013 Denzel Pratt, another Golden Compass member, became the first javelin thrower from Eleuthera to make the Bahamas CARIFTA team with a throw of 58.23 meters. Denzel also won the bronze medal for the Bahamas at the 2013 CARIFTA games as well as the silver medal at the 2014 CARIFTA games.

The games, begin at 9:00 am on Saturday, April 15th and wrap up with their closing ceremony at 7:15 pm on Easter Monday, April 17th.

Golden Compass Head coach Miss Jamie Williams commented ahead of the 2017 games, saying, After Pratts accomplishment, our young athletes began to realize that they have what it takes to compete. Sean Rolle, three years later, decided that he would also make his mark in javelin with a throw of 58.68 meters at the High School Nationals, breaking his old teammates record and winning the event. He didnt stop there. At the CARIFTA Trials held at the end of March 2017, Sean Rolle captured the hearts of the audience by breaking his personal best and setting a new record for the under 18 boys division with a throw of 61.42 meters.

Seans event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 16th, 2017 during session 4 at 4:05 pm. Along with his proud Mom, Ishka Rolle, Eleutherans will be pulling for young Sean, as the solo athlete representing the island on the Bahamas team in Curaao.

Participating Countries & Territories: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Bonaire, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sint Maarten, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands.

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Promising young Eleutheran on Team Bahamas at 2017 CARIFTA games in Curacao - The Eleutheran

15 APR 2017 Press Release

There is one week to go before the IAAF/BTC World Relays Bahamas 2017, which will be held in Nassau on Saturday and Sunday 22-23 April.

More than 500 athletes from around the world will compete in five relay disciplines in the Bahamian capital's Thomas A Robinson National Stadium: the 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m, 4x800m and to cap the competition, a mixed 4x400m.

The top eight finishers in the both the men's and women's 4x100m and 4x400m will earn automatic entry for the IAAF World Championships London 2017 to be held later this year, which ensures nations will berepresented by some of their finest stars.

Indeed, athletes expected in Nassau have amassed 177 world and Olympic individual and relay medals, 60 of them gold. Winners of seven Olympic titles and 11 world titles will be represented during the competition's third edition. Among them are Jamaica's new sprint queen Elaine Thompson, who sped to a 100/200m double triumph in Rio last summer, and Bahamian star Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who dramatically won the Olympic 400m title.

In all, 34 member federations have entered 513 athletes 285 men and 228 women who'll be gunning for a share of a USD $1.26 million total prize pot, with the winning teams in each event taking home $50,000. In the event that a team breaks a world record, an additional bonus of USD $50,000 will also be awarded.

Teams will also be vying for the Golden Baton, awarded to the team who tallies the most points. The USA squad claimed the accolade in both the 2014 and 2015 editions, and will arrive well-armed to claim a third straight.

The IAAF will be providing live results, news and event reports throughout the weekend. Previews of each event will be published on Wednesday 19 April.

IAAF

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IAAF/BTC World Relays Bahamas 2017 one week to go| News ... - International Association of Athletics Federations

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL--(Marketwired - April 13, 2017) - The Bahamas Tourism Offices (BTO) launched the first in a series of ambitious sales missions across Florida designed to reengage the traveling public ahead of the summer and winter seasons.

The mission, aptly renamed the 'Bahamas Product Celebration', kicked off in Miami at the W South Beach on Wednesday night. The celebration culminated with a down home 'party in the backyard'.

"The objective is to coordinate the Bahamas Product Celebrations to bring awareness of new hotel offerings, destination product developments, new air and cruise services from multiple Florida gateways to TIOTB," BTO Area Manager Jennifer Gardiner-Bannister said. "This also provides an opportunity to continue to grow relationships to conduct one-on-one sales and marketing focused meetings."

Throughout the festivities, the 50 travel agents and media in attendance heard from 20 suppliers representing various attractions or properties in The Bahamas. There were also surprise performances by a local Junkanoo group, Sunshine Junkanoo. It was a night to remember and gave invited guests a small taste of what they can expect when visiting The Bahamas.

"While it's about educating the travel community about why it's better in The Bahamas, focusing on our 16 islands," Gardiner-Bannister said. "We also need to push our attractions, our culture -- made up by our music and cuisine -- so we had a Junkanoo rush out. But it's key because we're trying to reestablish and to expand The Bahamas business in the Florida market and the wider United States. But we are focusing specifically on Florida as the lowest hanging fruit. We are trying to grow our numbers."

The travel agents danced as the Junkanoo band performed. For some, it was the first time watching the colorful performance.

"This Bahamas Product Celebration truly showcases the culture, the food, and the people. The Bahamas is a special place," said Nick Jaramillo, owner of TEI Vacations and former President of CTO. "I am here tonight to support The Islands Of The Bahamas. The representatives have supported me for many years."

Juan Rodrigues, Sales Manager, American Airlines Vacations added, "The Bahamas Product Celebrations exposes the Islands Of The Bahamas to the travel agent. It is so important to have the relationships with the industry partners."

The Bahamas Product Celebrations continues tonight at the W Fort Lauderdale Beach. From there, the next presentation will take place on Tuesday at the West-Shore Grand in Tampa. The Bahamas Tourist Office's tour will culminate in Orlando at the Hard Rock Hotel on Wednesday.

The Islands Of The Bahamas have a place in the sun for everyone from Nassau and Paradise Island to Grand Bahama to The Abaco Islands, The Exuma Islands, Harbour Island, Long Island and others. Each island has its own personality and attractions for a variety of vacation styles with some of the world's best scuba diving, fishing, sailing, boating, as well as, shopping and dining. The destination offers an easily accessible tropical getaway and provides convenience for travelers with preclearance through U.S. customs and immigration, and the Bahamian dollar at par with the U.S. dollar. Do everything or do nothing, just remember It's Better in The Bahamas. For more information on travel packages, activities and accommodations, call 1-800-Bahamas or visit http://www.Bahamas.com. Look for The Bahamas on the web on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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Bahamas Tourism Office Launches Ambitious Road Show - Yahoo Finance

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas and other Caribbean nations cannot escape their debt challenges without implementing so-called fiscal rules, an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) study recommending this nation impose spending controls.

An IDB paper on developing fiscal sustainability in small states argued that limiting the Governments recurrent (fixed cost) and total spending, in order to bring the Budget back in line with a target debt-to-GDP ratio, would generate higher consumer welfare in the Bahamas than any other option.

The papers authors, Allan Wright, Kari Granade and Ankie Scott-Joseph, effectively warned that the Bahamas will be unable to effectively tackle its $7 billion national debt burden unless it imposes discipline on successive governments through binding rules.

This study contends that Caribbean countries cannot adequately surmount their fiscal and debt challenges in the absence of binding rules that are geared toward entrenching fiscal discipline, curbing fiscal procyclicality, and improving budget transparency and credibility, the IDB papers authors wrote.

Given the persistence and scale of the fiscal and debt problem in many Caribbean countries, the authors view the urgent adoption of fiscal rules as a critical development priority for the Caribbean.

Improving fiscal governance and strengthening institutions are imperative not only to curb fiscal procyclicality and reduce indebtedness, but also to restore medium-term fiscal sustainability to better support socioeconomic development.

The IDB study said fiscal rules are intended to promote sustainable economic growth, while at the same time limiting government budget deficits and the growth of the national debt.

It added that there were several types of fiscal rules, most involving set debt-to-GDP ratio or balanced Budget targets - both of which, if adhered to, contain the fiscal deficit and national debt.

Other methods identified by the IDB paper included spending rules that limit the Governments total, recurrent and spending, something it said was used to control the size of government.

Finally, revenue rules were used to boost or reduce tax burdens by setting revenue ceilings or rules.

The IDB paper used two yardsticks to measure the impact of these so-called fiscal rules in the Bahamas and other Caribbean state, namely the impact on consumer welfare (change in household consumption) and affect on key economic variables such as employment, investment and GDP.

Expenditure rules, which simulate adjustments in public spending based on deviations from the targeted debt-to-GDP ratio, provide higher consumer welfare in the Bahamas (0.18 difference) relative to discretionary fiscal policy than any other rules, the IDB paper found.

In the Bahamas and Barbados, a revenue rule (which simulate adjustments in revenue based on deviations from the targeted debt-to-GDP ratio) was considered the second-best rule for improving welfare.

When it came to the key economic indicators, the IDB found that so-called revenue rules produced the least volatility for the Bahamas.

The IDB studys conclusions were yesterday seized upon as backing calls, made continuously by the private sector and others over the past three years, for the Bahamas to pass a Fiscal Responsibility Act and other reforms to make the Government more transparent and accountable over its taxation/spending plans.

Robert Myers, a principal with the Organisation for Responsible Governance (ORG), told Tribune Business that he 100 per cent agreed with the IDB authors conclusions.

He added that their findings mirrored calls made by the likes of ORG for Fiscal Responsibility and Freedom of Information Acts, a government ombudsman and a State Services Act to improve the management and efficiency of government.

Mr Myers said the Bahamas lacked a culture of fiscal responsibility and accountability, both within the public sector and the major political parties.

It mimicks what weve been saying, he added of the IDB report. To that I would add the culture in the Government; they dont seem to want to do it. So we have this real culture that is adverse to being fiscally accountable and responsible.

The Christie administration failed to deliver on promises, made in the February 2015 mid-year Budget presentation, to initiate a public consultation on introducing a Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Such an Act would force the Government to be more accountable and transparent in the management of the public finances, and require it to return to Parliament for approval to raise more money if it had to exceed the limits approved in the annual Budget.

Some have argued that fiscal rules, which go further than this by setting targets the Government cannot exceed, would lock or box in the administration such that it would not be able to effectively respond to emergencies, such as Hurricane Matthew.

However, given the Governments inability to control its spending, and concerns expressed by RBCs chief Caribbean economist that it is squandering the regions best VAT, many observers believe there is no choice but to impose discipline on it.

The IDB study noted that the Bahamas gross public debt, as a percentage of GDP, had almost tripled between 2000 and 2015, jumping from 24.5 per cent to 65.7 per cent.

Over the same period, this nations overall fiscal balance had deteriorated from -0.5 per cent of GDP to a 4.4 per cent deficit come 2015.

The study added that many Caribbean countries, as the Bahamas has done with Value-Added Tax (VAT), initiated fiscal consolidation programmes amid acute economic weaknesses to tackle this.

But it added that political and socioeconomic realities thwart large-scale fiscal consolidation in downturns, and pointed to difficulties in aligning revenues with government spending.

The Caribbean has been unable to link development strategies and plans to medium-term fiscal planning and current year appropriations and execution, the IDB study said.

There are also significant gaps in budget credibility, as several countries consistently execute budgets that differ significantly from approved budgets. Comprehensiveness and transparency are also problematic areas.

Moreover, there exist challenges in procurement planning and execution, and poor linkages between budget preparation, procurement planning, and execution systems. Oversight and governance of procurement, weak monitoring of contract compliance, non-compliance with bidding processes by procurement agencies, and non-transparent bidding processes are additional areas where most countries face challenges.

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Idb: Bahamas 'Can'T Escape' $7bn Debt Without Fiscal Rules - Bahamas Tribune

MENTAL HEALTH OF THE NATION

By Dr MIKE NEVILLE

Lunatic, bad head, crazy, they need to be locked up.

These are still pretty common views of mental illness.

Stigma and prejudice are still where most people get their knowledge of mental health; the psychological issues facing the nation are swept into the background behind heart disease, cancer and infectious diseases.

It is my belief, however, that our bodies are one and mental and physical health are completely intertwined.

It is now two years since our son, Sean, was brutally murdered outside our home (there have been no arrests and no one charged) and nearly one year since our other son, Damian, was injured in a sports accident. It is fair to say that my own mental and physical health has taken a battering as life moved from a fairly idyllic existence to a major struggle for survival. I try to force myself from my pit of despair and when my head pops up and I can see out of the pit at the world around me I realise how many others are struggling on very similar journeys.

The shock, horror and anger seems universal, the lack of trust in the criminal justice system, the sense of betrayal making the raw anger even worse. The stories seem to overlap, leaving a sense that those in authority do not want the crime problem solved; there have been over a thousand murders in the last decade leaving a significant part of society floundering in profound grief and anger.

The numbers soar even further when other crimes of violence like attempted murder and rape are added to the list; the rage and despair is further fuelled by the bizarre attempts of politicians and the police to blame the victims.

The plight of the nation does not end there: traffic accidents, robberies and lost jobs also leave a trail of stress and horror. There has also been the devastation of hurricanes smashing the islands, leaving a trail of destruction in their paths.

It is really no wonder that the health of the nation is at major risk of total collapse both physical and mental. There is plenty of research showing the links between levels of stress and many diseases, including cardiac disease and cancer.

The object of this series is to focus more on the mental health issues caused by these disastrous events that are conspiring to bring us all to a state barely imaginable in the not too distant past. It impacts how we feel, it impacts the productivity and balance of the work force, and it causes mental illness, further eroding the very fabric of society. I intend to look at how our personalities and daily behaviour are affected by these internal and external forces and how this is impacting public policy here and on the international stage.

It seems that more and more elections are won by manipulating emotions rather than discussing issues or policies; there is less concern about things that could help the people and more reliance on fanning the raw anger that flows through the arteries of the nation. This has been made worse by fake news, alternate facts or old fashioned lies: the vast information highway has so much stuff out there that people seem happy to believe whatever they want to believe.

All this is adding to the ever growing anger levels as gradually the lies become obvious, but as one English politician said the people want to be lied to.

Famous leaders have had mental health issues that caused impacts on world affairs that remain with us indefinitely. I intend to write about some of these figures. It is also interesting to wonder what would happen here or to our neighbours if a seriously disturbed individual were elected to a major office. It would affect all of our lives but can anything prevent this?

There have been so many kind and wonderful folks that have reached out and helped us as we struggle to make sense of our recurring crisis that I have hope for the core decency of our fellow travellers and hope for the future.

There is, however, a dark cloud that still hangs over the country and it brings to mind a poem by T S Elliot called Wasteland. He wrote April is the cruellest month. I think he was referring to his inability to enjoy the flowers that bloom in spring, due to the despair he felt at the breakup of his marriage. The Bahamas has great beauty all year round, but the dark, dank, destructive anger that ebbs with the tides makes the beauty invisible and every month becomes the cruellest month.

NEXT WEEK: Love is all you need

Dr Mike Neville is a forensic psychiatrist who has practiced for more than 40 years in the Bahamas, working at Sandilands, the prison and in private practice. Comments and responses to mneville@tribunemedia.net

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Mental Illness And The Health Of The Bahamas - Bahamas Tribune

The State

SC House member a candidate for U.S. ambassador to Bahamas The State A South Carolina House member's early support of President Donald Trump could be rewarded with the U.S. ambassadorship to the Bahamas. State Rep. Bill Herbkersman, a Beaufort real estate developer with decades-old business ties to the balmy ...

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SC House member a candidate for U.S. ambassador to Bahamas - The State

Another human smuggling operation originating in the Bahamas foiled FlKeysNews.com A South Florida man set out for the Bahamas with the intent of bringing 50 kilograms of cocaine back to the United States on a 31-foot, three-engine go-fast boat. But when he and his partner got to Bimini on April 5, the plans changed over the next ...

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Another human smuggling operation originating in the Bahamas foiled - FlKeysNews.com

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came under opposition attack on Tuesday, accused ofmisleading Canadians when he said he had to fly in the Aga Khan's helicopter during his controversial Bahamas vacation because it was the only way to travel to the billionaire's private island.

Opposition Leader Rona Ambrose led off the attack, demanding to know why he told Canadians the private helicopter was the only way to get to the island when a government employee arrived via seaplane.

"It's bad enough that the prime minister chose to vacation at one of the most expensive destinations in the world when taxpayers have to pay," Ambrose said during a raucous question period.

"But why did the prime minister tell Canadians a private helicopter was his only option when he knew it was against the law, against his own ethical guidelines and now we find out it wasn't even true."

Opposition leader Rona Ambrose went on the attack Tuesday over Trudeau's Bahamas vacation. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

New Democrat MP Nathan Cullen also accused Trudeau of misleading Canadians and being above the rules.

"Today we learned that the prime minister's excuse is categorically false," Cullen told the House. "So does he wish to change his story or does he wish to continue to mislead Canadians?"

Trudeau, however, refused to directly answer the question, saying repeatedly that it was a private family vacation and that he will answer any questions that Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson may have.

He then suggested the decision to take the Aga Khan's helicopter was made by the RCMP.

"On prime ministerial travel, as is always the case, the RCMP makes determinations around what is the safest way for the prime minister to travel."

"Is he saying today then that the RCMP told him to break the law?" shot back Ambrose.

Opposition question Trudeau over trip to island1:31

Dawson is conducting an investigation following complaints about the trip and allegations that Trudeau violated government rules, which prohibit the prime minister, cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries from accepting free travel on non-commercial chartered or private aircraft without prior approval from the ethics commissioner.

Government rules also bar a prime minister from flying on a regular commercial flight for security reasons, meaning they generally travel on government planes. (During election campaigns, however, prime ministers generally travel on commercially chartered flights.)

This seaplane ferried a Privy Council technician from Nassau to the Aga Khan's private Bell Island. (Bahamasrentalvacations.com)

The attacks in the House of Commons came after CBC News revealed early Tuesday that a Privy Council technician who accompanied Trudeau to Bell Island travelled from Nassau on a commercially chartered seaplane.

CBC News also revealed that the cost to taxpayers for the trip was higher than was disclosed to Parliament.

While the government initially told Parliament that it cost more than $127,000, that total failed to include a charge of $6,695 for the commercially chartered seaplane flight, which brought over the Privy Council technician and 400 pounds of equipment.

The total tab, then, was more than $133,000.

A Privy Council technician accompanies prime ministers whenever they travel for business or personal reasons to ensure they have access to a secure office and secure communications.

Trudeau has repeatedly come under fire in the House of Commons for the Bahamas trip and for his office's initial refusal to disclose where he was vacationing.

Fellow Liberal MP and longtime friend Seamus O'Regan and his husband, Steve Doussis, joined Trudeau's family on the island, along with Liberal Party President Anna Gainey and her husband, Tom Pitfield. Pitfield was a key member of Trudeau's election campaign team.

In January, O'Regan told the National Post that he and his husband also travelled on the Aga Khan's helicopter.

The Aga Khan's privately owned Bell Island is located in the Bahamas. (Google Maps)

Trudeau has defended the trip, arguing that the Aga Khan a billionaire and leader of the world's Ismaili Muslims is a longtime family friend.

However, the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, which lists the Aga Khan as its chairman in its most recent filings with the Canada Revenue Agency's charities section, has received federal government grants in the past for its international development projects. The foundation is currently registered to lobby several government offices, including the Prime Minister's Office.

On Jan. 12, Trudeau defended the decision to use the Aga Khan's helicopter, insisting it was the only way to get to Bell Island.

"The travel back and forth from Nassau to the island happens on the Aga Khan's private helicopter, which he offered us the use of," Trudeau told reporters in Kingston, Ont.

"The fact is, as I have said many times, the Aga Khan is a personal family friend, and travel to and from the island only happens through private means," he later added.

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Justin Trudeau accused of misleading Canadians on Bahamas vacation - CBC.ca