The Big Story

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville yesterday flagged the increasing incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases with mainly middle-aged and elderly Bahamians needing extensive hospital care. He noted that like other countries around the world, The Bahamas is currently facing a post-COVID-19 health crisis. “This increased demand for in-hospital care is putting excess strain on my Ministry’s...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday accused the Davis administration of making the cost of living crisis “much, much worse,” arguing that many Bahamians are going hungry as the government touts the success of its revenue intake. During his contribution to the mid-year budget debate yesterday, Minnis accused the Davis administration of increasing the cost of...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Family members and friends of the late Edwin “Smiley” Bastian gathered at the former Citibank Bank building on University Drive yesterday to mark the building’s rededication and renaming in honour of the late philanthropist, political activist, and Rotarian. At the ceremony, prominent businessman and The Bahamas’ non-resident ambassador to the Central American Integration System (SICA), Sebastian Bastian described his...

LONDON, ENGLAND — The United Kingdom has joined the private sector arm of Latin America and the Caribbean’s largest development bank in a move designed to boost the UK’s work reducing poverty and tackling climate change across Latin America and the Caribbean through support for small and medium-sized businesses. IDB Invest is a member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Philip Davis yesterday told Parliament that a company contracted by the Minnis administration as the sole collector of Immigration fees held more than $6 million in revenue belonging to the government for some two years. Davis furthered that the company was not licensed to collect revenue  or engage in the provision of financial services, as...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Philip Davis yesterday revealed in Parliament that the principal of a local NGO went on a “spending spree” with funds from the COVID-19 food assistance program and roughly a month ago returned to the government cash, trucks, and boats totaling $400,000. Davis during his mid-year budget contribution again highlighted what he called the “startling lack...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Opposition’s shadow finance minister yesterday dismissed the Davis administration’s touted revenue performance, arguing that it had inherited a growing economy from the previous administration. During his contribution to the mid-year budget debate, East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson said: “This government inherited a rapidly growing economy. Fiscal cliff, what fiscal cliff?” Thompson was addressing Prime Minister...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Philip Davis said yesterday that despite the improvement in Value-Added Tax (VAT) collection, he believes the VAT yield has “not reached its full potential.” While kicking-off debt on the mid-year budget, Davis told Parliament that his administration can further increase the yield with more compliance efforts. He noted that for the first six months of the...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Philip Davis yesterday said that the fiscal deficit decreased by $5.3 million in the first half of the fiscal year as he admitted that comments made on the deficit last week were inaccurate.  In his mid-year budget communication last week, Davis said that revenue collections were up but also noted that the government experienced a...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Residents in the Bacardi Road shantytown yesterday claimed they paid rent to a land owner for more than a 20-year period. Matny Fren, a truck driver and father of three, told to Eyewitness News that the community stopped making payments in November last year when the alleged owner refused to give the residents a receipt of payment...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Abaco’s Chamber of Commerce president yesterday estimated post-Dorian reconstruction on the mainland was at 60-65 percent as she acknowledged that there is still “significant” work to be done. Just over three years have passed since the monster Category 5 storm ravaged the island. Daphne DeGregory-Miaoulis said: “If I was to put a percentage on it I would say that...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Department of Inland Revenue has announced that beginning today, all property owners operating short-term vacation rentals will be required to register their properties in a newly launched portal by the end of April.  In a statement, the Department of Inland Revenue said the end goal of the registration initiative is to ensure that all owners within...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — IHOP Bahamas has pushed back the opening of its first restaurant to April 4th Labour Director Robert Farquharson confirmed yesterday. The first IHOP restaurant located at the Mall at Marathon was scheduled to open before the end of February but according to Farquharson that opening has been pushed back.  Farquharson said: “The opening date is April 4th....

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Concerns have been voiced that the government may be 'reinventing the wheel' by taking over the domestic egg production market, with the head of an agri-business group expressing doubt that the $15 million project announced by the government this week can have sustained success.  Caron Shepherd, head of the Bahamas Agro Entrepreneurs Group, said:  “It’s a good...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Philip Davis yesterday dismissed criticism that he was ‘pandering’ on the issue of immigration, as he assured that shanty towns across the country will be demolished once the necessary steps have been taken.  Speaking with reporters yesterday on the sidelines of the official groundbreaking of the Montage Cay development, Davis said: “Demolition will come but...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS —The Public Hospital’s Authority (PHA) has declined to provide any data on how many people have died as a result of negligence following a number of allegations in recent months. Eyewitness News, through email and phone communication with its public relations department, has made numerous requests that were all denied. The information sought included inquiries on how many...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Government continues to work with several developers interested in purchasing the Grand Lucayan resort and remains positive that it will find the right buyer, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said yesterday.  Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of the official groundbreaking of the Montage Cay development, Cooper said: “We are continuing to work with several developers who...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The $352.2 million luxury Montage Cay development is poised to become a "major attraction" and boost this nation’s luxury resort profile, according to Prime Minister Philip Davis. “Montage Cay is a strong representation of the economic bounce-back taking place in the Abacos," said Davis. "We are optimistic and grateful. The Bahamas has long been the premier luxury...