The Big Story

Five incumbents, excluding PM, awaiting renomination NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Fort Charlotte MP Mark Humes, who is among the last of the Free National Movement (FNM) incumbents yet to receive a renomination, said he will let the process “run its full course”. “The party has a process and I don’t preempt the party’s process and make comments about a process that...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Central Bank has confirmed that three additional financial institutions have been authorized to distribute the Sand Dollar and have earned the designation of authorized financial institution (AFI). According to the financial services regulator, Bank of The Bahamas and the Teachers and Salaried Workers’ Cooperative Credit Union are the first clearing bank and credit union authorized to...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said today that despite the impact of the pandemic on global tourism and travel, this nation continues to see strong gains in the very high-end tourism segment. Speaking with reporters ahead of a Cabinet meeting, D’Aguilar said: “In the very high-end niche market, the private aviation and yacht business are doing very well....

Weather expert Basil Dean urges Bahamians to start preparing for hurricanes earlier NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A trend of tropical cyclones appearing earlier and earlier has led the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to consider moving the start of the annual Atlantic Hurricane Season from June 1 to May 15. Ahead of its 43rd Hurricane Committee meeting, the WMO published a document...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday that if the Free National Movement (FNM) is successful in being re-elected to office, he and Deputy Prime Minister Desmond Bannister will do something that has never been done in The Bahamas: “split” the leadership of the government. The prime minister made the statement while leading the mid-year budget debate...

D'Aguilar suggests resorts responding to "enormous" amount of reduced airlift NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Sandals Resorts International (SRI) has once again pushed back the reopening of its Royal Bahamian resort on New Providence to the end of May. According to the company’s website, the resort will now reopen on May 1. The resort, which was originally slated to reopen on January 28,...

Mitchell: We had hoped to see Picewell serve in Cabinet “one day” NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Following the surprise departure of South and Central Andros and Mangrove Cay MP Picewell Forbes from politics yesterday, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) said it was saddened by the news. Forbes announced in Parliament that he would not be running for office in the upcoming general...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas saw total foreign arrivals last year drop by just over 75 percent, according to the Central Bank. The regulator, in its Monthly Economic and Financial Developments report, January 2021, noted: “For 2020, total foreign arrivals reduced by 75.2 percent, a reversal from a 9.5 percent expansion in 2019. “Underlying this outturn, air arrivals declined by...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The environmental groups involved in judicial review proceedings of exploratory oil drilling in The Bahamas will be required to pay $200,000 as security for costs within the next 30 days to proceed. Supreme Court Justice Petra Hanna-Adderley handed down the ruling during a virtual hearing yesterday morning. The applicants were granted leave for judicial review proceedings in...

Prime minister urges Bahamians to take advantage of tax forgiveness programme  NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The government is providing Bahamian property owners with up to a 50 percent discount on real property tax arrears, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis revealed yesterday. Minnis, while leading debate in Parliament on the 2020 Fiscal Strategy Report as well as a compendium of financial and...

Vaccine has yet to arrive in-country, missing expected arrival date NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A first dose of coronavirus vaccines, Pfizer or Oxford’s Astra Zeneca, have proven “highly effective” in protecting senior citizens, and substantially reducing their risk of becoming infected with the virus, according to a new study. Data contained in a Public Health England study, which gathered data on...

700 workers return to work as SLS and Rosewood reopen this week NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Baha Mar said its decision to lay off the second wave of employees was difficult, but necessary to align with its business levels and compliance with ongoing coronavirus guidelines related to nightlife and entertainment. Eyewitness News reported yesterday that the resort embarked on an exercise...

Only “marginal” economic growth projected for 2021 NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Total private sector arrears rose by just over $12 million in January amid the ongoing adverse impact of the pandemic, according to the Central Bank, with mortgage delinquencies increasing by $4.3 million. The financial services regulator, in its monthly economic and financial developments report for January 2021, noted that banks’...

Hospital provides over 150,000 COVID-19 tests over the past 12 months, more than 90,000 of which were rapid antigen tests NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Doctor’s Hospital’s chief financial officer said yesterday the BISX-listed healthcare provider has seen a full recovery of its top line and earnings driven by its “pivot” towards COVID-19 support. Dennis Deveaux told Eyewitness News: “Fiscally, we have...

Popular entertainer speaks on activism, focus on mental health and being a “regular guy” NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Jasper Thomas, a 20-year-old Bahamian DJ more famously known as “DJ Ovadose”, has cultivated a massive following through his love for music and youth empowerment. But in an interview with Eyewitness News, Thomas shared a different side of himself that revealed his desire...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas must seriously address the country’s debt problem and be restored to a path of sustainable economic growth, Exumas and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper urged yesterday. Cooper, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) deputy leader, while contributing to debate on the mid-year budget report, stated: “First, we need to clearly understand the situation. Next, we need...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Seabreeze MP Lanisha Rolle yesterday defended her integrity and public record as she remained tight-lipped on whether she was seeking another party nomination. Rolle told reporters at Parliament that she was “being patient” and “trusting the process” in her first public comments to media since her shocking resignation from Cabinet last week. The former minister of youth,...

Laroda tapped for PLP nomination NASSAU, BAHAMAS — George Carey has been appointed the new chairman of the Public Disclosure Commission, replacing Myles LaRoda, who has held the position since 2015. LaRoda tendered his resignation on February 18, according to a statement from the Cabinet Office. The resignation came after he was tapped by the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) to...