Category Archives: Bahamas

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

ACTIVIST Joseph Darville is pleased with the efforts being made by Equinor to clean up the oil spill in East Grand Bahama, but has indicated there is still lots of remediation work to be done.

On Monday, Equinor met with representatives from Save The Bays (STB) and the Grand Bahama Utility Company at the Pelican Bay Resort, where they gave a comprehensive update of the oil spill clean up.

The Tribune was informed that corporate executives at Equinor also attended via Zoom, but did not participate.

I am very pleased with the meeting, Mr Darville, chairman of STB, said yesterday. I was very happy they accommodated us; it was a very cordial and comprehensive meeting.

STB and Waterkeepers Bahamas have been closely monitoring the cleanup efforts of the oil spill in East Grand Bahama. They have made regular visits to the area to inspect, collect samples and take photographs of the affected forest and wetlands.

Mr Darville said they were informed on Monday by a technician at Equinor that their findings show no penetration of oil to the water table in the area.

The technician gave a detailed analysis of what has been done so far. They dug 24 to 27 wells in the area and there is no sort of penetration of petroleum or oil products into the water table from those wells that they have dug. They have been monitoring that for over a year and they plan to do so for a certain period into the future.

However, the environmental activist noted that there was no mention of the affected wetlands.

One of the areas that were not covered was the wetlands for any monitoring of oil in the water, but I brought that up, he said.

According to Mr Darville, during their initial and previous follow-up visits to the area, including one not more than three weeks ago, STB had observed oil sheen on the wetlands.

The technician, he said, had indicated that going into the wetland to try to collect the oil residue from the plants would cause more damage.

I agreed with that because the wetlands are extremely delicate, Mr Darville added.

He noted that Waterkeepers Bahamas and Save the Bays are the only groups that have been regularly monitoring that area almost every other week.

We go and take samples and see how the cleaning is being done by workers in that area, and we make suggestions to the workers, Mr Darville said.

During a recent visit three weeks ago, he said they saw sheens of oil on the water, and on the plants and vegetation that border the wetland.

We took samples of the wetland and the water, and took pictures, but we did not show that to them. We were satisfied they were very accommodating and very comprehensive. We were very happy with the way they presented, and also with the way they entertained our queries and questions and comments of what we observed. And I told them after Equinor met with the team in Nassau at the Ministry of Environment, and indicated that the cleanup was almost completed, I said to them I had to contradict that in a public release and to say that was far from the case.

Mr Darville said that the vegetation is growing back rapidly now that the rains have started, and have covered a lot of the oil residue on the ground.

If they go in and do the expert job of cleaning up, they have to go in and lift the vegetation to get any residue of oil on the ground, he said.

Another issue that was not addressed by Equinor at the meeting, Mr Darville said, was the oil spillage at a nearby aggregate site operated by a private company.

I told them that I have been very disturbed that has not been touched and there is an enormous amount of oil on the aggregate mounds, and that with all the rain the oil would be washed into the ground, and could eventually reach the water table unless it is taken care of carefully, he stated.

He also drew their attention to a six-foot hole in the area. It has three feet of water and there is oil sheen on the water which means it is making contact with the water table in that area, he noted.

Mr Darville said Equinor has indicated that the matter is in litigation in court and they have been prevented from touching the area but will have to bring equipment back on the island to clean it when they are given clearance.

Mr Darville said Equinor has also promised to make sure before they make any public release on the cleanup, to include and inform STB and Waterkeepers.

There is still more work left to do, he said.

They have quite a bit of work there to do. The weather conditions and COVID have really impacted their ongoing cleaning, he said. I go out there every other week and I indicated that to them, and there is still cleanup that needs to be done in that area.

The massive amount will be around those aggregate mounds that are 40 to 60ft high that are still covered in oil. I hope a decision is made based upon the regard for our environment that no matter what might be in the court they cannot allow that to subvert the action that needs to be done to clean up our environment and that forest, Mr Darville stressed.

Equinor is carrying out restoration, reinforcement, and rebuilding on the site in preparation for when it resumes operations.

Mr Darville said he has urged the company to ensure that it constructs dome covers that can withstand 180 to 200 mph winds.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, a spokesman said that consistent with immediate action taken after Hurricane Dorian, Equinor has spared no resources to efficiently tackle the unfortunate oil spill.

Equinor remains committed to the protection of the environment. Equinor welcomes the concerns of stakeholders and will continue to offer periodic updates, according to the statement.

Originally posted here:

Equinor progress on Grand Bahama oil spill - Bahamas Tribune

Brits enjoyed the 'hottest day of the year' on Tuesday with temperatures exceeding the heat in Bahamas.

Sun worshippers flocked to beaches and parks across the UK to enjoy the sweltering heat following a weekend of glorious sunshine that saw the mercury climb to 28.6C at London's Heathrow Airport.

And it promises to rise even higher.

Thunderstorms will shatter the mini-heatwave later this week but there will be blast of heat before the rain creeps in as temperatures are expected to surge to 30C.

The soaring weather is due to high pressure which has made its way from the Azores island in Portugal and settled across the Midlands and the southeast of England.

This resulted in Tuesday being hotter than the Bahamas as temperatures in the West Indies holiday island only reach 26C.

The glorious heat on Tuesday has beaten the previous record of the hottest day which was almost two weeks ago when temperatures of 28.3C were recorded in Northolt in West London, on June 2.

But influences from the Atlantic are predicted to bring wet weather over the northern and western parts of England with cloudier skies and patches of rain.

This will see the UK's sunshine disappear as a month's worth of rain is forecast to fall in just two hours.

On Wednesday some areas could endure downpours of up to 50mm which is the average amount of rainfall in South East England for the entire month of June.

A cold front will bring in cooler air which will trigger cloudier and wetter conditions to northern England, southern Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The south of England will experience clear spells but rain will fall in the North.

From 6pm there could be "thundery breakdown" which has prompted the Met Office to issue a yellow weather warning for some parts of the UK.

The thunderstorms are expected to move across the country and potentially eastern Wales but the timing and exact locations are still "uncertain".

Experts have warned there could be torrential downpours, hail, lightning and strong winds from late on Wednesday through to Friday morning.

Met Office forecaster Becky Mitchell said: "Large swathes of England and Wales could potentially see some heavy downpours on Thursday.

"After that, it will bring in fresher air from the West and so that will clear away the hot weather.

"The thunderstorm warning covers quite a large area of England and Wales. Closer to the time we will have a better idea of where exactly they should be."

Fine for many, with some hot sunshine for much of England and Wales before evening thunderstorms develop for some. Further north, a few showers over Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Thunderstorms moving northwards across parts of England and Wales with heavy rain and lightning, these mainly across southern and central areas. Scotland and Northern Ireland clearer with a few showers.

Band of cloud and light rain across central and western areas. Risk of thunderstorms southeast of this. Mainly dry with sunny spells across much of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Mostly dry with sunny spells, although heavy, perhaps thundery, rain will affect much of England and parts of Wales on Friday. Rain and showers becoming more widespread again on Sunday.

Excerpt from:

UK weather: England to be 'hotter than Bahamas' ahead of four days of thunderstorms - The Mirror

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE inclement weather forced the Bahamas Golf Federation to call off yesterdays first day of competition in the Bahamas Golf Federations (BGF) 2021 RF Bank & Trust National Amateur Golf Championships at the Albany Golf Course.

But first vice president Anthony Hinsey said with three days left, they will still be in a position to complete the tournament and crown their new men and womens champions this Fathers Day weekend.

With yesterdays action washed out with Albany under water, the golfers will head over to the Ocean Golf Club on Paradise Island where the next two days of competition are slated to take place today and Saturday.

The championships are scheduled to wrap up on Fathers Day on Sunday at the Royal Blue Golf Course at Baha Mar.

We had to cancel round one and its now a three-day event, Hinsey said. Once we play more than 64 holes we are good. We normally play 72 holes in four days, so it will only be three days now.

There are a total of 70 golfers participating, including close to 20 from Grand Bahama. With the tournament last played in 2019, Paul Tsavoussis and Jenna Bayles are still the defending champions.

At the last Nationals two years ago, Tsavoussis pulled off a three shot victory over Richard Gibson Jr. Nadario Ferguson got third.

On the ladies side, Bayles captured the title over Ashley Michel. Amarie Smith finished third.

Bayles, by the way, showed that shes in great form as she and Zion Taylor clinched the girls and boys respective BGF junior national titles at the Ocean Club.

I think the other two golf courses are more favourable for the local golfers, Hinsey said.

They play those two courses more frequently than they do at Albany. So were expecting some very low scores tomorrow and Saturday. Sunday will be moving day because its the final round. With about 17-20 competitors from Grand Bahama, Hinsey said the competition will once again be fierce because of the keen rivalry with the golfers from New Providence.

Tee time today and Saturday is scheduled for about 10am.

On Sunday, its expected that they will start around 7am to allow the golfers to spend some time with their families on Fathers Day.

Players in this years tournament are vying for spots on the mens and womens national teams that will represent the Bahamas at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships (CAGC) in Puerto Rico August 8-12.

This year, however, because of the COVID-19 restrictions, only six players, consisting of four men and two women, will get to represent the Bahamas as they play for the respective Hoerman Cup (for men) and George Teale Trophy (for women).

Lynford Miller is the president of the BGF.

View post:

Golf nationals called off due to bad weather - Bahamas Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

There has been much talk in recent times about the G7 nations introducing a world wide 15% taxation of corporate earnings. I see nothing wrong with this and would encourage our local politicians and economists to consider the pros and cons of this proposal. Yes, some will argue that The Bahamas is a tax haven and as such should not get involved in global economic debates. I beg to differ.

Large economies like the USA; Canada; the UK and many European inclusive of Germany are losing billions of dollars in potential corporate income taxes from multinational corporations which for tax purposes are based outside of their parent country. For instance USA companies which are domiciled in Ireland or even The Bahamas pays little or no taxes on corporate income in theses countries to the detriment of their home countries.

While understandable, this is dead wrong in light of the economic dislocations brought about by the pandemic. Large companies like Amazon; Facebook and Microsoft pull in billions of dollars through their foreign based associated companies but pay virtually nothing in their home nations. Other high end individuals park their wealth in what are referred to as tax havens like The Cayman Islands; Panama and even The Bahamas.

A few European countries are also seen as tax havens. The massive loss in potential taxes on corporate earnings have caused much concern in the home nations as they are now all scrambling to address massive national deficits and budget over reaches. The Ministry of Finance seems to have rejected this novel suggestion out of hand based on what it says is sovereign rights as a nation.

Minnis and the administration must wake up and smell the coffee. This is a brand new world from the pre COVID-19 one. Imaginative and progressive taxation structures must be implemented here in The Bahamas. Income inequality is rampant and very dangerous in many countries around the globe. The Bahamas is no exception. Our basic taxation engine is now VAT and consumer or user fees.

We do not yet have an income taxation system where the more one earns the more he/she pays in taxation.

This is a more progressive as opposed to a regressive system, currently in place.

No doubt we have scores if not hundreds of high earning Bahamians and foreigners who make good money but pay no more than the average lower ended earner. The level of the VAT would not ordinarily impact the former but could be devastating for the latter.

I join with my esteemed colleague, Attorney Andrew Allen in calling for an income taxation system here in The Bahamas. Why should the marginal poor pay the same basic rates as a person pulling in hundreds of thousands of dollars on an annual basis? Successive governments have been reluctant to address this elephant in the room. Talking up a brave talk and collecting every cent possible from the small man and woman makes no economic sense.

As we seek to rationalise our taxation systems income taxation is a given. We must also aggressively go after the easily identifiable tax dodgers. I understand that we have multiple millions of outstanding real property and other taxes which are low hanging fruits. For some strange reasons, however, administrations have been reluctant to go after these individuals. It is time for a taxation change and the sooner the better.

ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr

Nassau,

June 8, 2021.

Originally posted here:

Revisiting structure of our taxation - Bahamas Tribune

ByNEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A senior government official yesterday said the ball is in the court of Biminis largest investor to submit a completed $40m offer totransform and take over management of that islands airport.

Algernon Cargill, director of aviation, told Tribune Business that the government was still waiting to receive a final proposal fromGenting Group and Gerardo Capos RAV Bahamas, joint owners of Resorts World Bimini,over a public-private partnership (PPP) that will see the duo redevelop, manage and operate the islands primary aviation gateway.

Were still waiting to hear from them. The ball is in their court, he said. I understand theyre working on it, so we need to hear from them. This newspaper reported in early May 2021 thattheMinnis Cabinet hadgiven approval in principle to enter into negotiations with the duo over Biminis airport.

The Resorts World Bimini owners are aiming to extend the runway from its present 6,000 feet to 8,000 feet, so that it can easily accommodate commercial passenger aircraft as well as private jets. The proposals principal attraction for the government is that it will have to provide no financing itself from the cash-strapped Public Treasury.

Genting/RAV Bahamas were seeking to source financing for their plans from a US-based company called Phoenix Infrastructure Group, although the Government has not yet had contact with the latter.

Mr Cargill said back in May: Were very excited about it. This will be a PPP with that group that is similar to other PPPs. The plans are already in the preliminary stage. Theyre looking at lengthening the runway and building a brand new terminal.

Were being very deliberate in our discussions to ensure we have take a well-developed proposal before we submit it to Cabinet for approval. Theyll be the managing partner for the airport, Genting and RAV Bahamas. Its something weve been planning for a couple of months. Weve had several meetings, but contracts have not been executed.

TheBimini airport talks areseparate from the proposed $150m-$200m package of Family Island airport upgrades that the Government has hired RF Holdings to seek the financing balance for. The project also has no links to plans to transform Grand Bahama International Airport following its acquisition by the Government.

The first market briefing for bidders interested in developing and operating Grand Bahama International Airport, plus the airports in Exuma, North Eleuthera, Great Harbour Cay, San Salvador, Abaco and Long Island, is due to be held before the end of June.

We have created two SPVs (special purpose vehicles), Freeport Airport Development Company or FAD, and the Bahamas Airport Development Company or BAD, that will operate both the Freeport and other already identified Family Island airports independent of the Airport Authority in much the same way as NAD manages LPIA, DionisioDAguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, said earlier this week.

Asked whether the Government is seeking separate bids for Freeport and the Family Island airports, or just one offer for all, Mr Cargill said yesterday: Right now its split out, but a bidder may want to bid on Freeport and the other airports. Its up to the bidder.

We definitely want to deliver on what we promised wed set out to do. Those PPPs were working on, the Request for Proposals, have our immediate attention.

View original post here:

'Ball is in their court' over Bimini's airport - Bahamas Tribune

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Bahamian crowdfunding platform and stock exchange ArawakX, which is licensed and regulated by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas, is set to go live early next month.

DArcy Rahming Jr, chief technology officer and spokesperson for ArawakX, noted: The primary purpose of ArawakX is to move Bahamians from consumers to owners. We have targeted early-stage international startups that are resident in The Bahamas and our rules are written for Bahamians to participate through share ownership.

ArawakX itself will be a publicly-traded company, so Bahamians of all financial levels will finally be able to own their own capital markets.

Initial listings on ArawakX will feature companies in the health, high tech, tourist attraction and agribusiness industries.

We are changing the reality that Bahamians can only get jobs from these companies but can actually own a portion of them. When the company grows, so will the potential wealth of the owner/investor, said Rahming.

He further noted that anyone will be able to participate even with amounts as low as $25.

This is made possible through financial technology (fintech) and regulations. Additionally, with just our initial launch, we will begin to see diversification in the economy and the potential creation of hundreds of jobs, said Rahming.

He added: Our regulations are very robust and provide strong protections for Bahamian owners.

Rahming further explained that the licensing procedure involved over four years of scrutiny, hundreds of pages of applications, hundreds of thousands of dollars of fees and solvency requirements and proof that the ArawakX company is viable and can operate the exchange.

We have welcomed the challenge because it has made us a world-class organization from the onset. We are literally completing requirements in 80 days that it has taken other world-class exchanges 500 days, said Rahming.

We are able to do this because of our dynamic team of national veterans, international advisors and a cadre of highly educated young Bahamian millennials, some of whom decided to come back after being educated abroad to give back while building the country.

ArawakX is under the leadership of Chairman and CEO DArcy Rahming Sr, who was an early pioneer and manager in the $100 million GLOBEX exchange a joint venture between the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade and the French MATIF.

To round out their executive management team, ArawakX has appointed: Winston Rolle, businessman and former CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, as chief of equities; Leroy Archer, former CEO of Heineken Bahamas, as chief of investor relations; and Kenneth Donathon, former CEO of RND, as chief community officer.

Rahming said:These successful and proven Bahamian executives should give confidence to the Bahamian and international community. Additionally, our rules are being designed and vetted by some of the worlds foremost authorities on exchanges. We have literally looked at dozens of exchange rules and adopted the best ones to suit Bahamians so that they can grow their wealth.

Link:

OFFICIAL LAUNCH: Bahamian crowdfunding platform and stock exchange to go live early next month - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The Ministry of Health has been allocated the sum of $297,081,014 in the 2021/2022 budget in order to carry out its planned phased upgrade to healthcare facilities around the country.

This was revealed by the Minister of Health Renward Wells during his contribution to the budget debate in the House of Assembly on Thursday, June 17, 2021.

Wells noted that over the past two years, The Bahamas faced Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the road to recovery is not an easy one.

He said, however, that the country will recover based on the seven-pillared Accelerated Bahamas Recovery Plan that was recently tabled in the House of Assembly by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr Hubert Minnis.

My ministry looks forward to participating in the rollout of that plan, Wells said, adding that healthcare improvements and vaccinations form the third pillar.

The $297,081,014 for the 2021/2022 fiscal year to support the Ministry of Health includes:

These appropriations will facilitate four areas of the healthcare sector:

We are a government committed with our whole heart to the enhancement our healthcare system. The focus is on saving lives, improving health outcomes and putting much more care into the word healthcare, Wells said.

He added: We realize that in order to further achieve our desired outcomes, we will have to greatly improve our health infrastructure throughout the nation. We have taken the decision to renovate some structures and to build new ones. Consequently, renovations will be made to the priority wards and patient care environments to address bed shortages while ensuring compliance with COVID-19 space requirements and infection control practices.

According to Wells, the intended goal of these improvements aligns with the core value that all individuals and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship.

The minister also shared the infrastructure plan, which incorporates the latest use of smart and green technology to provide for safe delivery of routine medical services, e-health services and telemedicine, and the safe management of all infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

Supported by funding acquired from the World Bank Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the government will transform the face of the healthcare sector to modernize its facilities to reflect universal healthcare in the Public Hospitals Authority, the Department of Public Health, the National Health Insurance Authority and the Ministry of Health, said Wells.

Infrastructural development in healthcare will also take place at nine primary care clinics in seven islands, he said.

More here:

Ministry of Health gets an estimated $300M in budget for healthcare - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The Royal Bahamas Police Force yesterday partnered with the Ministry of Health, the Golden Gates Assembly Church, and Voice of Deliverance Cathedral to host a give-back at the Golden Gates Park.

The initiative included a vaccination drive in the foyer of the church, health screening for men on the park in honor of Fathers Day, and drive-thru distribution of care packages and food vouchers.

Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle said some 300 care packages were given out, along with 150 food vouchers for people in need.

He noted that the RBPFs Sick Bay was on standby doing free health checks for men, including checking blood pressure, glucose, and more, highlighting that men rarely go to the doctor when compared to women.

Rolle also urged Bahamians to take any opportunity they can to get vaccinated.

We are still in this COVID and this is one of the ways in which we can give back, he said.

The police commissioner underscored the importance of the police force to foster better relationships with the community, noting that this is just one of the ways police are giving back.

Ive been saying for a while now that the police are your friends, he said.

The police is in fact the community and the community is the police.

Police officers, only being members of the community, are paid to give full time and attention to work that is the responsibility of everybody in the community in the interest of the community.

Since receiving the appointment of COP in March 2020, Rolle has embarked on several initiatives aimed at increasing police presence and public trust throughout communities in the country.

See the article here:

POLICE ARE YOUR FRIENDS: RBPF partner with Ministry and Health and church for a day of give-backs - EyeWitness News

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

TWO years ago after national and African American Golfers Hall of Famer Agatha M Delancy formed the non-profit Flamingos Womens Golf Club, they will host their first tournament on Saturday at the Bahamas Golf Federations Nine-Hole Golf Club.

The event is all set to tee off at 9:30am and will have a cross section of rising young junior players to the veteran players. A total of 18 players, placed in seven different threesome teams, are expected to participate.

Alena Hutchenson, former national junior, senior and collegiate player, will be the lead instructor. She is the only LPGA Class A teaching professional in the country, but she finds herself in good company as there are fewer than 30 African American and or Black LPGA teaching professionals in the sport.

Im honoured to be the only LPGA Class A teaching professional in the country as it shows my commitment to continuing to grow as an instructor, Hutchenson said.

In 2010, after I completed my Bachelors Degree in Business Management (from Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, NC (outside of Charlotte), I knew that once I moved back home. I wanted to be involved in changing the direction of golf, especially junior golf so to do that I needed to be trained.

As she trained through the Ladies Professional Golf Association for about ten years, Hutchenson said it opened the door for Georgette Rolle and Raquel Riley to join and become LPGA Teaching Professionals with Class B Certifications.

The Bahamas Golf Federation played a crucial role in my development as a golfer as well as giving other golfers like me the opportunity for exposure and the ability to travel to international tournaments, she said. I truly wish that others who were a part of this federation can give back to its continued development if its not through serving as a board member this can also be done by the giving of support through donations.

Hutchenson's involvement in golf dates back to the late 1990s and continued as she previously held the post of junior golf director for over six years in a philanthropic position where she served as a national team coach and manager for the BGFs national teams.

Delancy, a former president of the BGF, noted that the club, which seeks to build a community that empowers women and young girls in partnership with the BGF Ladies Division and current Ladies Chairperson Dr. Patti Symonette.

The club includes women from various professional backgrounds and who serve or have served the country in numerous capacities. It also includes our junior membership for young girls between the ages of 14 -18, but their clinics, intensive beginner and intermediate monthly courses, lessons and league play extend to women 70-plus years.

Delancy, who is also a Senior Womens National team manager and member as well as founding chair of the BGFs Ladies Division,, said Hutchenson has done a phenomenal job since she returned home in assisting her with getting the club off the ground.

We had some things like the Hurricane and Covid-19, which we had no control over, but they knocked us off stride, Delancy said. But once Alena came on and started working with us, she has done a phenomenal job.

We are seeing growth, almost on a daily basis. We can tell you that another lady is coming along. Give it a year and we can have a membership to anywhere, almost a 100 golfers. Thats how much we are growing.

The lessons, conducted by Hutchenson, are very well structured, according to Delancy, and they are affordable.

She puts her emphasis on quality and not quantity, Delancy said. Her class sizes are normally no more than four per session and they are for one hour each time.

Hutchenson added that the tournament will serve as a learning experience and will also unite all of the ladies currently involved in their golf sessions, many of whom have not met before.

Teams will comprise one intermediate golfer and two novices.

This will help bridge the gap between seasoned players and newcomers to the game, Hutchenson said. Also it will be a great opportunity to gauge how well golfers are improving and the necessary steps needed thereafter to further add consistency to their games.

All of the teams are evenly divided so it truly is based on the conditions of the course as well as how well each team plays together that will determine the tournaments champions.

The tee times for Saturdays event are as follows::

9:30 am - Agatha Mona Delancy, Vanria Munnings and A. Pamela Thompson.

9:45 am - Dr. Patti Symonette, Templa Kemp-Lightbourne and Rachel Quant.

10:00 am - Helen Saunders, Immalasha Johnson-Thompson and Tamica Rahming.

10:15 am - Christine Malard, Roberta Quant and Anja Charles.

10:30 am - Gwendolyn Knowles, Sharon Cleare and Antoinette Russell.

10:45 am - Surinder Deal, Antonia Richards and Cherise Archer.

11:00 am - Patryce Curry. Shervonne Johnson and Kyra Isaacs.

Read the original post:

Flamingos Women's Golf Club to host their first tournament on Saturday - Bahamas Tribune

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Minister of Health Renward Wells said yesterday that 143 healthcare workers who stepped forward at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic during the first wave will be paid collectively $640,600, noting those men and women said hear am I, send me when others were somewhat tepid and hesitant.

The government has allocated an additional $3 million in the budget as an honorarium for 1,690 healthcare workers who later joined the fight against the virus that has claimed more than 240 lives.

Wells said the government also paid overtime to nurses who worked during the pandemic.

A total of $162,313 was paid to nurses last October for the period January 2020 through August 2020.

Last September, Wells mandated that overtime was not to accrue and overtime was to be paid on a month-to-month basis.

But he said the Ministry of Health remains on a paper-based honor system and even after some overtime funds were paid, log sheets were still being submitted for Hurricane Dorian.

Although the government was ready to pay the overtime accrued by employees the government still had to wait for the log sheets to be administratively compiled with accurate cost, the minister said.

Mr Speaker, I want it to be noted by all and sundry that the Public Hospitals Authority does not have this problem of paying overtime to healthcare workers since the Public Hospitals Authority has Accustaff sign-in electronic program system.

Consequently, nurses employed at PMH were paid their overtime monthly and on time.

I want it to be known that the time to wait on log sheets has come and gone.

Wells announced the ministry will invest in a biometric sign-in program for the Department of Public Health that will make overtime payments seamless.

Pointing to the nursing shortage, Wells said the University of The Bahamas recently graduated 40 nursing students.

He said those nurses will sit their examinations in November.

Another 30 nursing students will graduate by the end of the summer.

A further 100 nursing students will be following after the group of 30.

So, Mr Speaker, by the end of this upcoming fiscal year there will be an additional 170 nurses in our healthcare system, the minister said.

He said The Bahamas tertiary education system is creating the dull-suite of allied healthcare professionals needed to fully staff the healthcare system with qualified professionals and experts.

We must look to our young people to help get our country get through these difficult times and to help this nations recovery, Wells said.

This Free National Movement government is doing just that with this program.

See the rest here:

HERO PAY: $640000 to be paid to 143 frontline healthcare workers - EyeWitness News