ISLAND SCENE MAGAZINE

IslandsceneA Publication for The Islands of The Bahamas

Why Smart CompaniesChoose Grand Bahama IslandDoing Business in The Bahamas:Bahamas Investment GuideNewslines: 2011-2012Budget CommunicationGrand Bahama Island:The Most Advantageous Location!

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islandFLAVOUR

Beyond the sun, sand and surf, the 700Islands Of The Bahamas are sure todelight with limitless dining options.

From simple dishes to exotic Bahamian andInternational menus, the culinary scene inThe Bahamas is exploding and is sure totempt all taste buds.”

The Islands Of The BahamasPresents Cuisine to Satisfy Any Palate

FOODCome for the sun, stay for the

The cuisine of The Islands of The Bahamas is evolvinginto a definitive position in the region. It is an evolutionwith its genesis in bountiful marine ingredients and a newgeneration of Bahamian chefs who are reinterpretingtraditional dishes and creating new ones. An additionalfactor is the growing number visitors who express genuineinterest in and appreciation for the cuisines of the placesthey visit.

When did people begin to be identified with the foodsthey eat? At what time in their history did it become

identified with them as opposed to others who may actuallyeat the same ingredients? Perhaps somewhere someonehas studied this phenomenon and knows the answer. Andundoubtedly they would know that Roti goes with Trinidad;Ackee and Saltfish are synonymous with Jamaica; Fish ‘NChips are English as apple pie is American.

While anyone who knows would immediately identifyConch Salad and Conch Fritters as Bahamian.

From the time of the pre-Columbian people, the waterssurrounding these islands have given of their bounty. Eventhough we have no written records, or cookbooks or recipesto tell us how they prepared their fish dishes, the evidencegathered suggests the pre-Columbian peoples were fondof scale and shell fish.

Of course there are those who continue generation-long traditions of culinary expression. As if working froma genetic code for cooking, without help from writtenrecipes, they create memorable dishes. Such are the dishesprepared throughout The Islands Of The Bahamas.

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islandFLAVOUR

Grand Bahama Island

The fourth largest island in TheBahamas, Grand Bahama Island’sculinary offerings mirror its attractions– a blend of cosmopolitan possibilitiessprinkled with natural and charmingtreasures.

Aqua

Set in the epicenter of therenowned Old Bahama Bay resort,Aqua offers an innovative Bahamianfusion menu that blends classicBahamian delicacies with fresh newdishes. The restaurant’s modernBritish West Indies décor is accentedby extraordinary views of the oceanand marina. Visit

Churchill’s Chop House & Bar

Old-World charm and elegance setthe tone at this fine dining venue atThe Westin Grand Bahama. Servingsucculent steaks and local seafood,Churchill’s has become a popularfavorite among travelers looking tostart their vacation in style. Be sure toarrive early to enjoy a number ofspecialty cocktails at the bar.

Ferry House

Diners are regularly captivated bythis eatery touted as Lucaya’s mostupscale restaurant. Boasting a menu ofcontemporary global cuisine fused withthe unique flavors of The Bahamasand an elegant design featuring picturewindows that look out on Bell ChannelBay, the Ferry House is a dining exp-erience not to be missed.

Luciano’s

A staple in the Port LucayaMarketplace, Luciano’s presents amenu of classical European entreesand favorite Island dishes. Dedicated

to providing guests with only thehighest standard of service and cuisine,it’s no wonder Luciano’s has cateredto gourmet taste buds for more than 25years.

Our LucayaBeach & Golf Resort

The Radisson

T he Radisson Our Lucaya Beach& Golf Resort may appear to be justanother picturesque Caribbean des-

tination offering powder fine white sand,crystal clear turquoise waters, breath-taking views, and golden sun, but the 519room, AAA four-diamond resort offers somuch more than what is expected of anisland destination. The first indicationthat Our Lucaya is a bit special comes inthe form of genuinely welcoming smilesand the warm greetings from theenergetic, friendly and excited team thatmakes up the close knit Our Lucayafamily.

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O ur Lucaya’s island home, Grand Bahama, has a unique and distinct feel that offers

guests all of the comforts of home, mixed withthe laid back Bahamian lifestyle of hospitality, kindness,and a culture filled with unique food, flavors, music, art,and history. Taking pride in the Bahamian culture, OurLucaya not only has the benefit of the natural beauty ofthe Bahamas, but the resort draws from the island forinspiration in creating a unique guest experience.

Home to the largest fitness center of any hotel orresort on Grand Bahama, Our Lucaya’s Senses Spa has anumber of authentic Bahamian Bush Medicine treatmentswhich are not available at any other destination in theworld. Passed down through generations, bush medicineshave proven to be a truly hidden treasure that cure anumber of ailments, fight toxins, and benefit the overallwell being of its users.

Dining at Our Lucaya also draws from the unique

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flavours of the Bahamas. The conch, a sweet mollusk andBahamian delicacy, can be found on almost every menuat the resort along with the fresh tastes of thyme, limejuice, goat peppers, tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers,plantains, guavas, avocados, and coconuts that are grownlocally. From the fusion cuisine of China BeachRestaurant, to the traditional favorites of WillyBroadleaf, Our Lucaya need only look around the island

and play on Grand Bahama that bring life to OurLucaya. To allow visitors from all over the world toexperience the hospitality of The Radisson Our Lucaya,the resort is currently offering the Grand BahamaGetaway Package for only $99 per person, per night.This unbelievable rate includes full breakfast daily, beach& pool amenities, daily activities, taxes, service charge,and resort fees. To take advantage of the special package,

to take guest on a one of a kind taste experience.Not to be outdone, the resort also offers an array of

activities that pay homage to its island home. A weeklyJunkanoo street parade passes through the resort carryingthe sweet sounds of goat skin drums, cowbells and horns,while holidays are recognised with themed buffets and‘home grown’ rake and scrape music.

Our Lucaya may offer great views, 24-hour roomservice, an array of bars, 90,000 square-feet of meetingspace, a Championship Golf Course, 4 tennis courts,picture perfect weddings, a swim up bar, an infinity pool,world class dining, and all of the amenities of home, likemany other resorts, but it is the enthusiasm and thegenuine passion of the men and women who live, work

guests can book by July 31st, 2011 and stay at the resortup to August 31st, 2011. For more information or to makereservations, guest can visit www.ourlucaya.com or call1-866-870-7148/1-242-373-1333.

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Budget By: Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

“Budgets are about making choicesand accepting responsibility.”

2011-2012Communication

In presenting the Budget Communication in May 25th I noted that Budgets areabout making choices and accepting responsibility. During this fiscal year manypersons were required to endure temporary sacrifices in order to preserve and sustain jobs in the public sector and to permit us to provide increased assistance

to those most seriously impacted by the downturn in the economy, and take targetedaction to stimulate job creation in the private sector through the acceleration ofplanned infrastructural developments and upgrades; which also has producedincreased employment.

As the global economy has begun to turn around, so also has the Bahamianeconomy. In this Budget we seek to relieve some of the burdensome sacrificesrequired over the past year, while remaining ever cautious to ensure the continuedprudent management of our fiscal affairs.

Budget Allocations:

There has been some commentary in the press that this Budget does not addressthe too high incidence of crime in our communities most especially here in NewProvidence. Of course nothing could be farther from the truth. It is simply wronghighly disingenuous for others to suggest that they have a higher interest andcommitment to fighting crime than does my Government or indeed any Governmentof The Bahamas. Crime is an assault on us all and those who ignore it, tolerate it orindeed seek to benefit from it in any way are not friends of our people.


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· Community service programmes in all public

schools with an enhanced service-learning, ethics

and character development component;

· Community and youth development programmesgeared towards providing young people positiveand alternative life experiences and skills whilepreventing anti-social behaviour;

· Effective and creative alternative sentencing forjuvenile offenders; and

· Restorative Justice initiatives

‘Crime is an assault onus all and those whoignore it, tolerateit orindeed seek to benefitfrom it in any way are notfriends of our people.”

My Government has sought to avoid knee-jerkreactions to crime and criminality in our country.Instead we recognize the necessity of a

comprehensive approach to this very complex and vexingproblem and so we have set out deliberately to address thefactors responsible for the development of criminalbehaviours and the criminal mind while modernizing andmaking more efficient the principal agencies responsible forthe enforcement of the law, put extensive resources in place,developed new initiatives, fine-tuned existing anti-crimeprogrammes and enacted legislation needed to moreeffectively prevent and combat crime.

We are keenly aware that prevention and deterrence alsoincludes efforts in social development as well as targetedsocial intervention.

Urban Renewal initiatives:

My Government has continued to fund, to the tune of $2.3million in this Budget, and make more effective and efficientvarious Urban Renewal initiatives. This Budget provides fundsto assist in the extension of various social interventioninitiatives and the initiation of and expansion within existinginstitutions of innovative and effective programmes includingfor example, support for Marching Bands; after schoolprograms; computer classes; sewing and handicraft programsfor the elderly; summer programs for young people; boys andgirls clubs; and backyard farming.

Further, we continue to provide funding to facilitateParenting and healthy-lifestyle seminars and programmesmeant to support and encourage entrepreneurship.Presently, we have nine Urban Renewal Centres in NewProvidence and another seven in Grand Bahama.

All of these measures are designed to carefully targetcertain behaviours in order to prevent criminal conduct anddisrupt those who have are beginning to engage in criminalenterprise.

Principally, the social interventions in which we willinvest are meant to provide young people with positive andtransformative life experiences, with lessons drawn fromeffective programmes with measurable results and successrates in various countries around the world including in Northand South America as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Social Services

Among the social intervention programmes we areinvesting in and expanding are:

Over the past four years my Government has:

· promoted a new generation of leaders for the RoyalBahamas Police Force

· improved conditions of service of the Police Force.

· invested in new equipment, technology and crimefighting tools for the Police Force

· implemented the electronic monitoring of accusedand convicted persons released on bail

· introduced CCTV monitoring in various high-crime

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areas of New Providence (played a role in thequick identification and arrest of suspects in therecent John Bull robbery)

· appointed additional Magistrates, Supreme CourtJustices and Court of Appeal Judges to helpfacilitate speedier trials and reduce backload ofcases

· engaged a new Director of Public Prosecutionsmandated to reduce the backload of cases andstreamline and improve the functions of that office

· introduced a new Magistrate’s Court to concentrateon gun crimes, and

freed on bail are both programmes specifically implementedto combat crime and to keep Bahamians and residents safe.

We have inadvertently left off the list of new tariffreductions, surveillance cameras for business. I will table anOrder so that surveillance cameras will be duty free in thisnew fiscal year.

I reaffirm my Government’s commitment to theadministration of justice.

In order to bolster resources available to the Office ofthe Attorney General, this Budget contains funding in theamount of $549,000 to engage 9 Assistant Counsels, 3 ChiefCounsels and one Senior Counsel. Financial provision hasalso been made to facilitate and accommodate promotions forlegal officers in the Office of the Attorney General.

Reform efforts underway at the Attorney General’s Office

· engaged this year 60 new police recruits who willbe joined by another 60 now in training; 30 ofwhom are being engaged specifically for posting inthe Family Islands.

Monies have been provided to accommodate the promotionof 135 police officers to complete the restructuring of

the Force so that development is based on a structure. Forexample, if Bimini is to be headed by an AssistantSuperintendent of Police (ASP), then there must be anInspector, Sergeant(s) and Corporals and Constables.

The introduction of CCTV surveillance in high crime areasand the introduction of ankle bracelets to monitor and trackindividuals charged before the Courts on serious offences but

are meant to further reduce the backlog of cases in the Courts.

As regards the Department of Prosecutions:

Ø Prosecutors are now being involved early in theinvestigative stage for serious and complexcases1.

Ø The OAG is establishing a prosecutor’s casemanagement unit to ensure the readiness of casesthat are fixed for trial. Prosecutors to beengaged are expected to be adequate to resourcethis effort.

Ø The OAG has launched a witness care unit in

Assistant Commissioner of Police for the Grand Bahama District, QuinnMcCartney, visits the Police College for inspection of the new recruits.

Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham, Prime Minister, presenting hisgovernment’s 2011 / 2012 Budget Communication.


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February 2011 to provide appropriate supportservice to victims and witnesses (witnesses beingcritical components of the justice system andessential to the prosecution’s case).

Even though, reasonably, time is required for theoutcomes to be plainly manifested, there has been substantialprogress in the justice system over the past several months.

I note that:

Ø The Magistrate Court hearing firearm offences have

in the first 2 months since 07 Mar11 heard morethan 180 cases (several of which are ongoing).

Ø The increase from two (2) to four (4) criminal

Ø Another of the four courts is assigned to hearretrials ordered by the Court of Appeal or due to ahung jury.

Ø Two (2) courts are concentrating on older cases(offences committed in 2009 and prior).

Moreover, the trial dates for current cases are now withina reasonable time, thereby preventing new backlog. This is abreak-through of success compared with recent decades.

Our collective efforts are ongoing and we expect moremilestones that would deliver a better functioning criminaljustice system.

When my Government came to office in May, 2007 wefound the infrastructure of the Supreme and Magistrates Courtin a lamentable condition.

trial courts in New Providence and a criminal trialcourt running consistently in Freeport have madeit possible to meaningfully attack the long existingbacklog of cases in the Supreme Court and toprevent the accrual of new backlog.

Ø New backlog is being prevented in the SupremeCourt by the Chief Justice having assigned one (1)of the four (4) courts to hear current matters(offences committed in 2010 and 2011 to date).Upon arraignment of a new case in the SupremeCourt, it is now fixed for trial for a specific date(no longer assigned sine die where they drift un-managed in the system) and those trial dates havebeen less than eighteen (18) months.

The Supreme Court operated from a principal buildingthat was in dire need of refurbishment. The HansardBuilding was such that the resident judge later refused

to continue to work from it. And, work on the MagistratesCourt Complex off Nassau Street had come to a complete halt.

As I present this Budget, Members and the Bahamianpublic can see the Governments investment in improvinginfrastructure around the country and very dramatically in NewProvidence.

As regards the physical condition of our Courts I notethat the refurbishment of the Court in the Hansard Building,which was vacated when a Senior Justice found it impossibleto sit there any further, will be completed by the end of June.It will become fully operational soon thereafter. That courtwill be able to accommodate both civil and criminal trials and

The Hansard Building. CCTV surveillance camera mounted alongside traffic lights.


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will be equipped with a Judge’s Chambers, a secured jury roomas well as witness rooms to insulate witnesses frominterference from the public.

The Government purchased Ansbacher House last year toaccommodate additional courts for the Supreme Court.

The work on the ground floor of Ansbacher House, toaccommodate two courts capable of both criminal and civiltrials is expected to be completed by the end of September ofthis year.

After they are completed, the main Supreme Court andthe rest of Ansbacher House will be vacated. Work will beginon those buildings for the creation of the other courts capableof criminal and civil trials only. When these works arecompleted the Supreme Court in New Providence will haveeleven modernized courts six of which will be capable of theconduct of criminal trials and large enough to accommodate

Today the Court of Appeal has a full complement of 5 justices.In this Budget we have provided funding for an additionalJustice of Appeal to permit the Court to sit in two panels atthe same time, as well as to expand the number of justicesfrom which a panel may be selected.

s to the Magistrates Court, the work on the new CourtComplex is nearing completion. That impressiveedifice when completed will house twelve Magistrates

courts. There are presently nine Magistrates Court that operatein New Providence, excluding the two night courts. Thiscomplex will enable us in time to have twelve courts operatingin New Providence every day.

When completed and operational before the end of thisyear, the Complex will house scores of full time staff and willno doubt help to revitalize the Nassau Street area providingopportunities for residents in the area to establish small

those large civil litigation cases which our complex andsophisticated economy sometimes requires.

Even with our inadequate facilities we have this yearoperated four courts (two more than previously) in NewProvidence and one court in Grand Bahama devoted primarilyto the adjudication of criminal trials.

The Supreme Court presently has a full complement of12 justices and we have provided additional funding for thetemporary appointment of an additional justice to dealprimarily with criminal cases.

When we came to office in May, 2007 there were onlythree justices on the Bahamas Court of Appeal. Two vacancieshad been allowed to continue unfulfilled for months and inone case for more than a year.

businesses to meet the needs of those persons work in thecomplex or utilizing its services.

This Budget also provides additional funding for anotherMagistrate in New Providence. Whilst it is a matter for theChief Justice and the judiciary how Magistrates are deployed,we have made representation to them as to the need for anadditional court dedicated as a priority to Voluntary Bills ofIndictment and Extradition. There is also a need for additionalmagistraterial resources to address the growing demands ofdomestic disputes.

The Budget provides additional funding for two newMagistrates to permanently reside in two of our major FamilyIslands. For too often the residents of family islands are shortchanged in their right to a fair trial within a reasonable timebecause of the absence of regular and consistent services of aMagistrate.

Magistrates Court Complex off Nassau Street . New Supreme Court at Ansbacher House complex.

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resently resident Magistrates are only found in Nassau, Freeport, Eight Mile Rock, and in Abaco. In Abaco, two new Courts are located in the Administrative Building.We have provided additional funding in this budget to

appoint two new Magistrates to reside in Eleuthera and Exuma.The appointment of these two new additional resident FamilyIsland Magistrates will in our view significantly improve theprovision of these services to the residents of these islands.

I have finally been convinced that efficiencies to bederived from the establishment of a Remand Court on thegrounds of Her Majesty’s Prison in Fox Hill outweighs mylong held view that individuals held on remand ought to havetheir day in court in a place away from the place of theirdetention.

Honourable Members are aware that the transportation,daily, of large number of prisoners from the prison in Fox

and facilitate Remand Continuance Hearing in the event that aMagistrate cannot attend in person.

It is expected that the Remand Court will be completedby September of this year.

I am pleased to advise Members that the Probate andAdministration of Estates Act enacted by Parliament last yearwill come into effect this Wednesday, 1st June, 2011.

And we will also further amendment to the Bail Act toreduce the number of violent offenders and accused personsout on bail who seek to do harm to others. And, in coordinationwith non-governmental organization we are actively reviewingthe implementation of various alternative sentencing andrestorative programmes to reduce crimes and repeat crimesby juvenile non-violent offenders.

Crime and its causes are complex. The stark reality isthat we did not reach the current level of crime overnight.

Hill to Courts located in the centre of the City of Nassau tohave their Remand Continuance hearings occupies the timeand attention of many Police and Prison Officers who mightbe more usefully and effectively assigned. Further, policeescorted Prison Bus convoys are increasingly becoming notonly an annoyance to neighbourhoods traversed by the convoysbut also a danger to pedestrians and to regular vehicular traffic.

The construction of a Remand Court at Fox Hill willeliminate the need for persons being held on remand to betransported. Instead only those persons whose trials arescheduled will be transported downtown.

The court is being built adjacent to the ElectronicMonitoring Tagging Centre. Remanded inmates will continueto have ‘their day in court’ before a Magistrate and in thepresence of family members should they so choose. TheRemand Court will have teleconferencing capacity to permit

And, our att i tude towards crime makes a difference.Complaining about crime yet aiding and abetting criminalbehaviour hurts our shared fight against crime.

The less tolerant and accommodating we are of criminalenterprise and behaviour, the more effective will be our fightagainst crime. The entire society has an obligation to assistthe Police in doing their jobs.

And I say to both political parties, both the FNM and thePLP, that we ought to consciously not associate ourselves withpersons that we know to be criminals. You ought toconcsciously disassociate ourselves from persons we knowto be criminals. I know in elections, everybody wants to win,but we ought to concsiously and deliberately disassociateourselves from persons we know who are criminals. I speak inmy capacity as Prime Minister, with the knowledge I have fromintelligence gathered in The Bahamas.

“I know in elections,everybody wants to win, butwe ought to concsiously anddeliberately disassociateourselves from persons weknow who are criminals.”

P

Supreme Court, Bank Lane & Parliament St.


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As demonstrated by our actions, my Government’s anti-crime programme is comprehensive, covering immediate-,medium- and long-term measures to address crime and itscauses. We have invested heavily and without stinting in thepolice, courts and corrections.

In the coming month I will make a national address oncrime so as to keep the public informed on even more thatwill be done to ensure the peace and security of our personsand properties. The people of The Bahamas should have nodoubt as to this Government’s commitment to cause areduction in criminal activity and improving the administrationof Justice.

Even a cursory look at the 2011-2012 Budget estimatesreveals that this Budget, consistent with each of the budgetsintroduced by my Government during this term in office, iscommitted to the immediate and long-term protection of

successful National Training and Retraining Programme in2009 which trained 800 many or most of who whom weresubsequently placed at various enterprises around our country,the 6 month Employment Programme which productivelyengaged 2,500 individuals and an electricity subsidy of $4million for more than 6,000 household which permitted themto have their homes reconnected to the electricity supply.

My Government’s social security and protection initi-atives include the launch of the landmark unemploymentbenefits programme and the national prescription drugsbenefits programme, which has now been extended to publicofficers.

As crime cannot and will not be solved by Governmentalone, my Government continues to with and strengthenpartnerships with civil society generally, and churches, civicgroups and the business community to fund and manage

Bahamian national interests and the security of the Bahamianpeople.

That protection includes:

· Economic Security inclusive of Job-Creation andJob Protection;

· National Security inclusive of Public Safety andCrime Prevention;

· Social Security and Protection inclusive of SocialAssistance to our more vulnerable citizens.

My Government continues to pursue measures to enhancejob and income security and social protection.These measures include the launch of an earlier very

targeted social intervention programmes to confront anti-social and criminal behaviour among various groups.

Some of these organizations were required to accept aslightly reduced Government Grant last year. These are nowbeing restored to the 2009/2010 level.

Apart from Government’s considerable formal investmentin education, training through the Ministry of Education, I alsohighlight a few key expenditures meant to provide targetedsupport for our youth and students for the information ofHonourable Members:

Government’s subvention to College of The Bahamas hasbeen restored to its 2009/2010 level of $24.7 million;funding for Scholarships, which was increased from $400,000in 2006/2007 to $1 million in 2007/2008; further increased

Remand Court at Fox Hill Prison. Governor-General Sir Arthur Foulkes and Lady Foulkes visits COB’snew Library and Information Centre. Pictured third from left are: Dr.Betsy V. Boze, President and College Librarian Ms. Willamae Johnson.

to $6 million in 2009/10, increased again to $7million in2010/11 and is now further increased to $7.750 million. And,an additional $1 million provided in this Budget to fund theinterest subsidy for Education Guarantee Loans related toGovernment’s contribution to educational loans.

was disappointed to know that the allocation of $2 millionin each Education Budget meant for subsidies for educa-tion loan repayments were not being applied as I intended.Our predecessors in office stopped the payment of the

one half of the interest cost of all student loan payments whilethe student was still attending college or university. Wepledged to restore this. This will happen on July 1, 2011.Further, I will direct that a review be undertaken of all studentloan repayment meeting this criterion so credit may be givenin respect of all payments made since July 1, 2007.

· And, the subvention to the Bahamas National Trustwhich was increased 9 fold to from $100,000 to$1 million in 2007/08 and reduced to $750,000last year has been restored to its 2009/2010 level.

Today we have cautious optimism that the economy isrebounding.

Our targeted infrastructural development projects areprogressing well, some completed or nearing completionduring the last budget period and others on their way tocompletion during this calendar year. I note in this regard:

Ø Phase II redevelopment of the old US DepartureTerminal into a new International DeparturesTerminal is underway following upon the


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completion of Phase I. At present there are morethan 100 Bahamians engaged on this project butas with Phase I, between 500 and 600 Bahamianswill be engaged at the peak of the Phase IIdevelopment of the new International DepartureTerminal project.

Ø The new $70 million Port at Arawak Cay. Some

shipping operations have already commencedservices. Bids are now in and a contract will soonbe awarded for warehousing and customs facilitiesat Gladstone Road. Upon completion, nowexpected by year’s end, all international freight andthe associated traffic congestion will finally beremoved from Bay St.

The new $70 million Port at Arawak Cay.Phase II redevelopment of the old US Departure Terminal into a newInternational Departures Terminal.

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Continuing with the list of some of the key expendituresmeant to provide targeted support for our youth and students,

I draw attention to the following:

· Government’s contributions to sports, civic andyouth organizations are being increased

· Subventions to Family Island Regattas, the NationalEndowment for Sports, Aid to Athletes, andNational Youth Leaders

· The Self-Starter Programme introduced in 2007/2008 will be funded at the level of $500,000 (up$50,000 over last year).

Ø The new $12 million Straw Market will becomeoperational by August/September of this year;

Ø The new multi-million dollar GovernmentAdministration complexes are nearing completionin Grand Bahama and Abaco;

Ø Two Gymnasiums will be constructed in this Budget

period – one in Central Abaco and the other inCentral Eleuthera;

Ø Additional classrooms are scheduled to beconstructed at schools in Inagua, Mastic Point,Andros and Spanish Wells, a contract has beenissued for work on classrooms at the Bight, aswell as work on new classrooms at AF Adderely

Andros; bids for this project are scheduled to beopened tomorrow – Tuesday

Ø two bridges in South Andros – at Little Creek andat Deep Creek are to be restored

Ø the Three Mile Island Dock in North Eleuthera isto be built at a cost of some $3 million

Ø the causeway connecting Little Abaco and NorthAbaco will be replaced; a new bridge will beconstructed in its stead and the marineenvironmental degradation occasioned over thepast 50 years will be remediated;

Ø new roads in Marsh Harbour, Dundas Town and


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High School, CH Reeves Senior High School andan Administrative Block at RM Bailey Senior HighSchool;

Ø Finally, the TG Glover School will be completedand opened in September of this year;

Ø Two small hospitals are to be constructed by NIB,one in Abaco and the second in Exuma

Ø And the extensive and continuing road, utility andother infrastructure work here on New Providenceand on a number of the Family Islands:

Ø new docking facilities will be built in Fresh Creek,

Murphy Towns, Abaco and in North Andros willbe undertaken

Ø the Treasure Cay, Abaco airport runway will beresurfaced; it having not been repaved since itsconstruction in 1982;

Ø works will be undertaken at the airport atDeadman’s Cay, Long Island; and

Ø Finally the terminal and control tower at the MarshHarbour International Airport (the 3rd, and possiblythe 2nd busiest airport in The Bahamas) will beconstructed at a cost of in excess of $25 millionand a contract will be awarded during the courseof next month (June.)

The new $12 million Straw Market, Bay Street. New Government Administration Complex, Freeport, G.B.

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In the private sector multimillion dollar renovations andexpansion were commenced at BORCO and Statoil in GrandBahama.

And, the luxury hotel and residential resort developmentsat Albany in New Providence and at Winding Bay and Baker’sBay in the Abacos continue to enjoy robust sales. Some 500Bahamians are engaged on the two Abaco projects. Some 321Bahamians are now employed in the operation of Albanyadditional numbers of Bahamians continue to be engaged onconstruction works.

The important ongoing $100M renovation and upgradeproject at Kerzner International properties on Paradise Islandcontinues with a completion date slated for December of thisyear. Further, Kerzner International expects to commencethe development of its new Timeshare Resort and expansionof the Hurricane Hole Marina this year.

Wallace-Whitfield Centre to Baha Mar, the Government hascontracted to acquire the S.G. Hambros Bank Building atGoodman’s Bay for the sum of $13 million net. The buildingwill be renamed in honour of the late Sir Cecil WallaceWhitfield. The Ministry of Finance and the Office of the PrimeMinister will relocate to those premises before the end ofthis calendar year.

The New Providence Road and Utility Upgrade Programmewill be completed during this fiscal period. Some 470Bahamians are currently engaged on these works.

Already the New Providence Highway, extending from theround about at Saunders Beach in the north to the ToniqueWilliams-Darling Highway in the south has been opened tovehicular traffic. This new highway connects with the MiloButler Highway extending the thoroughfare to CarmichaelRoad in the far southern end of the island. It is envisaged that

n February the $3 billion Baha Mar Resort redevelopmentbroke ground on Cable Beach. Work on the deviation ofWest Bay Street is already advanced. The new diverted

West Bay Street will connect with JFK Drive via a newconnector road extending to the intersection with GladstoneRoad.

Also, the replacement Cable Beach police and fire stationand other replacement private office structures to form anucleus of the planned Baha Mar commercial village areprogressing well. I am advised that as many as 700 Bahamiansare presently engaged in several of the Baha Mar relatedconstruction and road contracts.

In the coming months hundreds more and eventuallythousands more Bahamians will be engaged on this project.And Bahamian contractors will be awarded contracts of a valueof not less than $400 million.

I also advise that as a result of the sale of the Cecil

this highway will eventually extend further south to Cow PenRoad.

Measureable improvement in south to north traffic flowis being achieved and the construction of the 6-leggedroundabout at the intersection of the new highway with JFKDrive and Farrington Road has also significantly improvedtraffic flow into the Oakes Field area.

Work is moving toward the completion of the followingsegments of large projects by end of this calendar year:

1. Major road works, utility upgrades and installationof sidewalks and improved street lighting alongBlue Hill Road south of the water tower on thehill, Blue Hill Road North, Market St. South, Abun-dant Life Road, Prince Charles Drive, MarathonRoad and Wulff Road to the round about atthe intersection with Village, Bernard and SoldierRoads.

S.G. Hambros Bank Building at Goodman’s Bay. Baha Mar Commercial Village.

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2. The installation of a new 24 inch water main isalready completed along Robinson Road thoughroad works continue in the area of the RM BaileySr. High School and Marathon Mall and iscontinuing along Prince Charles Drive up to theintersection with Fox Hill. The completed projectwill bring improved roadway with sidewalks andalso improved water quality and pressure forresidents at the eastern end of the island.

3. The installation of a new water main along SoldierRoad will also improve water quality forcommunities along that corridor. The Soldier Roadwork is being undertaken in stages and at nightand excluding weekends so as not to contribute tofurther congestion during high traffic periods.

the Tonique Williams-Darling Highway along anenhanced Yellow Elder Way;

Ø A new road extending from a new round about atthe Government High School that will link the QESport Centre with the New Providence Highway.

Ø An extension of Moss Road linking Thompson Blvdand Blue Hill Road, and a new connector roadlinking Moss Road to the round-about at theGovernment High School.

Considerable new parking areas, drainage systems, andlandscaping and open green spaces will be developed throughout theentire area.


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The Bay Street Water and Sewer Rehabilitation Worksare segmented beginning at Marlborough/Nassau Courtand extending to Parliament Street, from Parliament St.

to Victoria and finally, from Victoria Avenue to Mackey Street.Additional road and intersection improvement work is

also scheduled for a number of street junctions along the EastBay Street corridor: East Bay/Village/ Shirley St; the East Bay/Newgate; East Bay/Johnson Road; East Bay/Fox Hill Road;and also at the William/Shirley Street intersection.

Two other major road and utility upgrade projects whichhave commenced will continue during this new Budget cycle.

The first entails:

Ø An enhanced entrance to the Sports Centre fromThompson Blvd. This road way will be linked to

So as not to increase the inconveniences being experiencedalong project routes the improvements to the road leading tothe Government High School will not commence until afterthe end of the school year and it is expected that the workswill be completed ahead of school opening in September.

The second of these major road projects to be completedduring this next fiscal period is the Airport Gateway Project.This project which involves the dualling of the exiting JFKHighway from the LPIA up to six legged roundabout willshortly be in execution.

Also telecommunication and cable infrastructure will berelocated, together with other ancillary works including drainage,signage, road markings, street lighting, and extensive landscaping.

Among the two most popular traditional beach-recreational spots for Bahamians on New Providence areMontagu Beach and Saunders Beach. This Budget makesprovision for their restoration and expansion

LPIA Gateway Project.The installation of a new water main along Soldier Road.

Honourable Members will be aware that the 2003 Headsof Agreement concluded with Kerzner International includedan option for the developer to construct a golf course on AtholIsland. In consideration of that concession from theGovernment, Kerzner International undertook that if they wereto proceed with the development on Athol Island, Kerznerwould undertake extensive restoration works at the MontaguBeach, restoring the sandy beach destroyed over the years asa result of hurricanes and other undetermined natural and ormanmade events.

for Bahamians, recreational facilities of a standard deservedand indeed expected by Bahamians at this stage of ourdevelopment.

It is my expectation that we will provide such superiorrest room facilities at other of our public parks. It has beenmy experience that when people are treated with respect theyrespond in kind. This Government will always treat theBahamian people with respect.

Honourable Members know that the beach at Saunders hassuffered erosion over time particularly at its eastern end wherea protruding rocky shoreline has long obtained. While thecentre and western end of the beach appear to be enjoyingconsiderable accretion following the year’s usual winter stormerosion, the eastern end of the beach remains bare with littlepromise of summer beach accretion.

I am pleased therefore to advise that the same coastal


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As the works are extensive, it is proposed that they beundertaken in stages resulting in only the partial closure ofbeach access throughout the life of the project.

Other landside enhancements will also be undertaken incollaboration with intersection upgrades at Eastern Road andShirley St. to better improve access and parking to the fishvendors at Montagu Beach. It is expected that this will finallyaddress the congestion which has for so long inconveniencedbeach-goers and Montagu and residents of the eastern end ofNew Providence

Honourable Members know that Saunders’s Beach is beingtransformed into a beautiful seaside recreational park. Whilesome have opined that the rest room facilities beingconstructed at Saunders Beach are “too expensive” and perhaps“too good” for Bahamian beach-goers as “a toilet is a toilet”,I wish to state that my Government is determined to provide

engineering expert who conducted the studies and preparedthe working drawings for the beach restoration project atMontagu Beach, has, at no cost to the Government, providedsimilar studies and working drawings for beach restorationand expansion at Saunders Beach.

The Government has now determined to engage theengineer on a consultancy basis for the Saunders Beach Project.This Budget makes provision for the cost of the works atSaunders Beach.

I am pleased to advise that the Ministry of theEnvironment, and the Ministry of Public Works and Transportare scheduling two town meetings on June 6th and 7th – one inthe east and the other in the west, to inform residents and usersof those two beaches of plans for restoration and expansionof the beaches.

We expect shortly thereafter to commence work on bothprojects simultaneously.

Saunders’s Beach is being transformed into a beautiful seasiderecreational park.

Restoration works at Montagu Beach.

Notwithstanding that the development at Athol Islanddid not proceed Kerzner International has agreed carryout, at its cost, the proposed restoration works at

Montagu Beach. The necessary engineering and environmentalstudies have been completed and we expect restoration worksto commence at Montagu in the very near future.

I note that this Budget makes provision for a number ofspecific Capital Works Projects to which I will draw attentionas follows:

Head 21 – Reinstatement of Sundry ConstituencyProjects – each Member of Parliamententitled to $50,000

Head 31 – Ministry of Works and Transport - Provisionof $1million for the construction of GrandBahama Fire Station and $1 million for thefish and vegetable vendors in Eight MileRock, Grand Bahama.$10 million for the Construction of theMarsh Harbour Airport.

I also draw to Honourable Members’ attention a numberof other important infrastructural developments which myGovernment is completing and or undertaking during thisBudget Period with the assistance of funding made availablefrom the European Union and the China Export Import Bankas follows:

EU Funded Projects

Ragged Island (Gun Point) Harbour: This projectis being executed by Emile Knowles Construction andis valued at $7.08 million. The project along with theRagged Island Roadway Construction and AirportRehabilitation was started during the last fiscal period.

The latter two projects are largely completed and the

Harbour Project has an estimated completion ofOctober 2012.

North Acklins Road Rehabilitation: This $7.3million project (50% funded by the EU) is largelycomplete with only remedial work being carried out. The contractor was Bethel Construction.

I also advise that my Government has indicated to the EUthat it would wish the 10th EDF funds (approx. $4.5 million)to be allocated to a water project in Long Island. Thisexpenditure is not reflected in the Budget as the executingagency would be the Water and Sewerage Corporation.

Chinese EXIM Bank Funded Projects

China Harbour Company is in discussions withMinistry of Public Works and Transport with respectto Abaco Port, North Abaco Port and Bridge and the

Glass Window Causeway. It is expected that one ofthese projects will commence within this calendaryear and a second will within this fiscal period.

When my government left office in 2002, we hadcompleted a review of the overall Health Sector InfrastructurePlant in The Bahamas. That study provided importantinformation for setting the new strategic directions for ourHealthcare System for the next decade.

When my government returned to office in 2007, adeliberate focus was given to improving the quality ofhealthcare delivered by the Public Healthcare facilities in theCommonwealth of The Bahamas and specific attention wasplaced on the acute care facilities, the Princess MargaretHospital, which is the nation’s largest healthcare facility, theRand Memorial Hospital in Freeport Grand Bahama, and theSandilands Rehabilitation Centre, the only facility dedicatedto the treatment of mental disorders and geriatric care.

My Government is continuing to demonstrate thathealthcare is a basic human right. We believe that the healingprocess begins when healthcare services are provided inpleasant surroundings which are safe; built for and conduciveto the delivery of efficient, effective and high qualityhealthcare, and staffed by committed, well-trained personnel.So, we shall continue our investment in the infrastructuralenhancements and development of our public hospitals andcommunity clinics so that all persons residing in and visitingour country can be assured that they will receive quality healthcare.

n this regard, my Government began several major CapitalDevelopment Projects within the Public Hospitals Auth-ority, at a total estimated construction cost of more than

Sixty Million Dollars.The largest of these projects is the planning and

construction of a world-class Critical Care Block at thePrincess Margaret Hospital. The construction of this newfacility will represent the single largest investment inhealthcare in this country since the PMH was built nearly sixdecades ago. This New Wing of the hospital will entail a three(3) storey building consisting of approximately 70,000 squarefeet. It will house new suites of Intensive Care Units for bothadults and children; six new Operating Theatres; new clinicalLaboratory facilities, a modern sterile supplies division andother support services.

This major capital investment is estimated to costapproximately 37 Million Dollars. The FunctionalProgramming, Architectural and Master Planning will becompleted within the next week and it will go out to Tender inJune of this year, with construction scheduled to commencein September 2011. The target completion date is March 2013.

I am also pleased to report that the first phase of theExpansion and Renovation of the Accident and EmergencyDepartment at the Princess Margaret Hospital, has beencompleted. The second phase will begin later this year with


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the relocation of the General Practice Clinic to a new facilityon 4th Terrace. Members may be aware that the first phase ofthis project was designed to re-organize and renovate 2,500square feet of existing public areas (including triage, waitingarea, reception, holding room, bathroom and a new 900 sq feetfor screening and security entrance) was completed inDecember 2010. The total budget for this project was$320,000.

The second phase of the Accident and Emergencyexpansion involves the renovation and preparation of rentedspace on 4th Terrace to accommodate the General PracticeClinic. It is anticipated that the relocation of the GeneralPractice Clinic will reduce the number of patients seekingcare at the Hospital as non-urgent cases, thereby reducing thewaiting time in the A&E for urgent care.

Emphasis will be placed on public education and all non-

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relocation of the Accident and Emergency Department, wereboth effectively accomplished in this fiscal period. This pavedthe way for the commencement of the Renovation andExpansion of the main Accident & Emergency Department atthat hospital. This construction is proceeding very well andcompletion is targeted for August 2011, at a cost of $2.1million. When completed, it will be one of the most modernAccident and Emergency Departments in the region.dditionally, the residents of the Freeport, for the first time,


urgent care patients will be urged to utilize this new facility.When the General Practice Clinic is relocated, it will

make available another 3,800 square feet of space allowingfor the final upgrading and expansion of Accident andEmergency Department.

The operating theatre renovation and expansion projectat the Rand Memorial Hospital is advancing well. This projectincludes the construction of two operating theatres, OneEndoscopy Procedure room, one induction room, Day SurgeryFacilities, Central Sterile Supplies Department, Staff Loungeand Changing Rooms. This work is scheduled for completionin September 2011 at a cost of $3.5 million.

I am also pleased to report that the projects for therelocation of the Rand’s Specialty Clinics, to the leasedfacility on Coral Road and for the subsequent temporary

and master space plans.At the Sandilands Rehabilitation Center, two major

infrastructural development projects are currently underway:the renovation and expansion of the Geriatrics Hospital, andthe construction of a new building to accommodate the Childand Adolescent Unit and Robert Smith Ward.

The contract for the phased redevelopment of theGeriatrics Hospital at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centerincludes: the expansion of the northwestern quadrants of thefacility, providing for isolation rooms; staff lounges,mechanical/electrical rooms, visitors’ rooms; the relocationof the housekeeping closets and patients bathrooms, upgradingthe life safety systems and installation of a conventionalplumbing system.

This work will greatly enhance the overall environment

Artist rendering of the new Critical Care Block at the Princess Margaret Hospital, above left and the Sandilands Rehab Center, above right.

Awill be provided with a state of the art communityhealth center, offering the full range of primary healthcare services including those for Mothers and Children

and for the prevention and control of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases. The project leading to theconstruction of this new facility is presently underway withthe development and fine-tuning of functional programming

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of care for our geriatric patients; improving family andprovider satisfaction and direct patient-care. Several phasesof this project are already completed with final worksscheduled for completion by the first week in June 2011, at acost of $1.5 million.

The construction of the Child and Adolescent Unit andRobert Smith Ward, undertaken by the National InsuranceBoard, is now proceeding satisfactorily. This new inpatientfacility, (started under the administration of MembersOpposite, is designed for children with special mental health,behavioral and developmental needs. Completion is scheduledfor September 2011.

It is important to note that components for managementstrengthening have been included in all of these infrastructuralprojects, in an effort to improve efficiency and quality in thedelivery of services within the new and renovated areas. Thesecomponents include staff training (250 of the National Jobs

. target some 1000 participants for upto 52 weeks

Ø Retraining Thrust

. skills development for mature

persons; 1000 participants for up to52 weeks upgrading skills for existingjobs or acquiring new skills for new jobs

Ø Apprenticeship Thrust

. acquisition of basic and advanced technicalskills; 1000 participants for up to 52 weeks

This Project also makes provision


for the following:

. A Work Placement and Employment

Exposure Programme

to provide opportunities to gain workexperience, as well as on-the-job trainingand skills toenhance employability;Government will offer a wage subsidy toprivate sector for every new employee

· $1.5 million Jump Start Programme toencourage job creation through grants of upto $7500 for persons over 30 years startingnew small businesses; focus on start-ups

Training Initiative) andretraining; new and im-proved processes, proce-dures and proto-cols; andbetter management sup-port systems.

This Budget begins ashift in the role played bythe Government at theheight of the economiccrisis of supporting jobsto a role of promotingjob readiness, job trainingand new job creation.

This Budget againreflects Government’sfirm commitment toeffective budget-making

Artist rendering of the operating theatre renovation and expansion project at the Rand MemorialHospital in Freeport.

through decisiveness and responsibility in response to theevolving environment.

Accordingly, the core Budget priority is action to enhanceemployment and training through a National Job PromotionStrategy comprising a number of components.

Government is creating a $25 million National JobReadiness and Training Programme to be developed jointlyby public and private sectors and to target areaswhere shortages of workers exist; three majorcomponents:

Ø Service and Productivity Improvement Thrust

. focus on youth to enhance jobreadiness by addressing idleness, poorwork attitudes and the lack of literacyand tradable skills.

creating attractions or amenities for tourismsector, particularly the cruise sector 1000 ofthese jobs will be identified specifically forFreeport, Grand Bahama.

· A Public Service Employment and TrainingInitiative to recruit into the Public Service100 college/university graduates, 50 HighSchool graduates with BGCSEs and 50 withonly BJCs; focus on practical workexperience and training and preparing forsenior positions in Government.

· Business Licence tax holiday extendedthrough 2012 for small and medium sizebusinesses with turnover up to $500,000

major refurbishments; matched by five-year customs-duty exemption for PHA and NIB for similarprogrammes.

In our continuing programme of modernization andadministrative reform, this Budget provides for the continuedimplementation of my Governments plans to increaseefficiencies throughout the Government system. In this regardI again draw attention to the following:

· e-Government Initiative ongoing with launch ofinitial components in July with creation ofDepartment of Information Technology and sevengovernment services going online; aim to transformPublic Service by improving efficiency andproductivity and improve our ranking in respect of

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· An SME Development Act is being preparedto establish the basis for effectivelyproviding financial and non-financial servicesto SMEs through a new SME DevelopmentAgency; will administer financial and non-financial instruments according to the diverseneeds of SMEs and in regard to their sectorand location

· Medical Care Improvement Act willencourage, through duty-free entry ofbuilding materials and medical equipment,improvement of medical care underagreements with entrepreneurs forinvestment in new medical care facilities or

he ease of doing business; and

· Modernizing and improving revenue administrationthrough creation in July of new Tax AdministrationDivision in Ministry of Finance with responsibilityfor integrated collection of several taxes andensuring compliance with tax legislation;discussions of tax reform to figure prominently inpublic discourse in period ahead.

Teachers

note that the number of public officers retiring over the past12 month period ending 30 June, 2011 amounted to some 258persons with a total annual salary bill of $ $8.5 million. The

Mr. Atario Mitchell, President of Bahamas Striping, the recipient of a Government Jump Start Programme Grant. is pictured above with theHon. Charles Maynard, Minister of Youth & Sports and the Hon. Brent Symonette, Minister fo Foreign Affairs.

majority of these would have held posts which were not filledsubsequent to their retirement. These officers will receivesome $10.1 million in gratuities and enjoy annual pensionstotaling some $3.7million.

This Budget provides for the engagement of 200 newappointments including high school graduates with therequisite BJC or BGCSE certificates (50 each) and collegeand university graduates (another 100).

The Budget also makes provision for some 417 newappointments throughout the public service providing for keynew appointments the Department of Public Works,Department of Education (40 new teachers, 83 securityassistants, 25 security officers and 50 janitresses/janitors),Department of Social Services (10 case aids and 10 socialworkers), the Department of Public Health (7 medicalofficers) and (35 nurses and 20 doctors) at the PublicHospitals Authority, the Prison Department (50 officers at acost of $900,000) and the Defence Force (62 officerspresently in training and another 60 will be engaged inNovember, 2011 and March 2012.

I note that this impacts a considerable number of publicofficers will benefit from the payment of the increment andthe expansion of salary scales as reflected in the long list ofofficers provided to me by the Department of Public Service.

The record shows that it has been my Government’s policyto share the gains of good economic times with the Bahamianpeople through:

(1) reduction in the rates of duty on many items;

(2) public offering of government owned entities like

the Bank of The Bahamas, bridge bonds andnow BTC and Arawak Port; and encouraging theprivate sector to make shares available toBahamians (Cable Bahamas, CIBC, Freeport(nor Grand Bahama) Power and nowCommonwealth Brewery)

(3) improvements in fiscal incentives to businesses;

(4) the establishment of minimum wage;

(5) improvements in the terms and conditions forcivil service employees;

(6) improvements in social services throughimproved pensions;

(7) dramatic upgrade of the country’s infrastructure;and

(8) through a level of fiscal spending that saw the

lowest levels of GFS deficits on a sustained basisin our history.

This Budget, even in these tenuous economic times,continues in that tradition:

Key Revenue Measures

My Government is again introducing a number ofmeasures to further rationalize tariff and excise rates,encourage energy efficiency and provide relief to consumers.

Among others, duty rates are reduced on:

. fresh fruits including avocadoes, cantaloupes,honeydew melons, papayas (papaws), figs,apricots, cherries, nectarines, raspberries,

blackberries, mulberries and tangelos;

. turkey/ham/beef sandwich meats,

. chicken,

. yogurt,

. jams, jellies and marmalades,

. instant coffee,

. tomato ketchup,

. black pepper, nutmeg, and salad dressings,

. detergents, including dish washing detergents,

. Hydraulic brake fluids and other prepared liquids,

. electric cars,

. biodegradable Styrofoam boxes, plates, cups andcutlery,

. insulated concrete forms, insulated steel walls, spay-on thermal foam insulation,

. solar air conditioners, and

. kidney machines and parts (See full list at AnnexIII.)

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I acknowledge Mr. Speaker, that some concern has beenexpressed by producers of fresh fruit who fear their inabilityto compete with some large foreign producers of fruit. Inthis regard, I wish to remind that the Ministry of Finance uponthe recommendation of the Minister Responsible forAgriculture, has the authority to impose a prohibitive tariff ofup to $300% when circumstances warrant – for example, whenthe Minister is satisfied that the supply of a locally producedfruit (avocado, watermelon, mango) is adequate to meetmarket demand.

Other adjustments to tax and fees include:

Ø Current $7 air ticket tax applicable on tickets soldin The Bahamas for travel outside The Bahamasis being eliminated and merged with $20 airdeparture tax; effective October 1, 2011, combinedair departure tax to be levied at $25 per ticket

Ø Stamp Act amended to clarify that exemption formortgage transfers between lending institutionsapplies to all such transfers and not only for first-time homeowners.

Ø To encourage payment of commercial property taxarrears, a 100 per cent waiver of the applicablesurcharge will be offered for a period of six months

Ø Fourth Schedule of Tariff Act amended to provideexemption for purchase of classroom supplies byteachers with confirmation letter from their school

Ø Tariff Act amended to provide for tariff rates agreedunder the Economic Partnership Agreement withthe European Union

Reactions to this Budget, as might be expected, have beenvaried.

I am heartened by the response of many in our societywho demonstrate support and appreciation for what we seekto do. They understand the circumstances in which we findourselves and understand the need for budgetary restraint.

As I have said we believe that the provision of grantfunding – seed money – to micro-business start-ups, is wellplaced to support the entrepreneurial interests of many smallbusiness persons. Our jobs training and job-readinessprogrammes promise to significantly enhance theemployability of as many as 3,000 persons – a significantnumber in every sense of the term.

I do so earnestly wish that I were able to benefit from theconsiderable advice of my many armchair economists andfiscal advisers. The trouble is, although the advice is so

fervently given, it is so contradictory. Considering that itcomes from people I regard as reasonable intelligent I ambaffled at how widely their views could differ – a fact fromwhich I get some sense of comfort.

Our editorial writer graciously incorporates thecontradictions in one editorial – noting that the jobs promotioninitiative is indeed a step in the right direction, but havingregard to the increase in unemployment since 2006, doubtedthat the $25 million allocated for the purpose was enough.

Not surprisingly, that he has suggested that Bahamians maynot have sufficient money to purchase 9% of the BTC sharesthat are to be made available to the public, this notwithstandinghis earlier position that 51% of the shares of BTC ought tohave been sold to Bahamians!

He then goes on to worry about the difficulty of achievinga revenue proportion of higher growth than the economy (herehe makes a similar mistake to a related party in failing todistinguish between growth in constant prices and growth incurrent prices. And without missing a beat he goes on to worryabout the management of the debt and even manages to castdoubt on our measurement of debt ratios on account of GDPrevisions by the Department of Statistics.

It cannot be that Government assistance in stimulatinggrowth, improving employee skills and labour efficiency andproviding jobs by the injection of $25 million directly intothe economy through a National Job Readiness and TrainingInitiative is both too little and too much.

How could it be that a $7,500 grant for the launch of one’sown micro-enterprise without the worry of debt-servicing isa waste of time? How many mini-enterprises have beenlaunched with less, and how many have missed an opportunitybecause it was not available? This kind of cynicism does agrave disservice to the spirit of entrepreneurship. Clearly,what these critics have in mind is something quite differentfrom a micro-enterprise that converts an employee to a self-employed person in a mini operation for which he has the skillsand which has the potential to generate a living wage with anopportunity for growth and expansion.

What these professionals who rush to judgment shouldbe doing is identifying the opportunities for one or two manoperations that offer the potential for engaging this programmeand benefitting from the grant-funding available.

Sometimes our rejection of an initiative seems too mucha knee-jerk reaction. “It is a good idea, but not enough” seemsentirely insensitive to the reality of limited national resources.

Or “good idea but wrong approach” is really self-contradictory. If it’s a good idea, see it through – make itwork – give it a chance. Engage it until the perfect solutionpresents itself, although one suspects it does not exist.

One hopes when the initial responses are over and thebenefits inherent in these initiatives come more clearly into


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view that the professionals who are able to do so will assistothers in identifying opportunities that will enable them tobecome self-employed entrepreneurs. And that others willembrace the national Job Readiness and Training Initiative,willing to give their assistance to the effort.

Government Borrowingsand the Government Debt

A fiscal commentator has asserted that by the end of fiscal2011/12 the Government will have borrowed $1.7 billionduring its term in office, with the majority of the moneyborrowed being spent paying for deficits such as civil servantsalaries, rents and other charges. In point of fact estimatedGovernment borrowings during the five year period to endFiscal 2011/12 is $1.69 billion. Of this $360 million will beapplied to debt so that the net borrowing will be $1.33 billion,$900 million of which represents payment on Capital deficitsand the balance of roughly $400 million will be in respect ofsalaries, rents and other charges.

Government debt at the end of the period is expected tobe about $3.78 billion, an increase of $1.34 million over thelevel of Government debt at the beginning of the period of$2.44 billion. Of the net increase of $1.3 million inGovernment debt, slightly more than 2/3rds is in respect of thecapital account and less that 1/3rd is in respect of currentaccount charges.

Recurrent Revenue Projectedto Grow Faster than the Economy

One fiscal critic asserts that recurrent revenue isprojected to grow faster than the economy but this is notcorrect. The projections for recurrent revenue are for thegrowth of 3.7%, from $1.460 billion to $1.514 billion incurrent prices. The projection for GDP growth in currentprices is from $7.856 billion to $8.182 billion for an increaseof 4.1%.

The projected GDP growth of 2.4 % for 2011/12 is inconstant prices. Recurrent revenue, shown in current prices,is estimated to grow more slowly than the economy – 3.7%to 4.1% in current prices.

False Sense of Comfort fromthe GDP Revision

I was amused to learn of the “false sense of comfort”concerns that arose from an improvement in the estimationof the country’s GDP by the Department of Statistics. Although


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I expected this response from the political realm, it was a littlecurious coming from a professional.

When I learned that the Department of Statistics hadrevised upward the GDP, I fully anticipated the politicalcynicism that would greet this revision. It was rather curiousthat a professional was thrown by it, especially one who wouldbe aware from experience that GDP is an estimate and that theDepartment of Statistics has been continuously upgrading itsestimating methodology and continuously revising thepublished date, and doing so without reference to the politicaldirectorate.

What is particularly confusing is the notion that improvedestimates of GDP which revised downward the debt to GDPrations should itself lead to a “false” sense of comfort. Onewould normally think that the more accurate the statistics, thegreater the benefit to those relying upon it. If it is morereliable what makes the comfort false? This self-condemningpsychology which seems to suggest that the lower the GDP isinherently more helpful in inducing the right frame of mind inpolicymakers is nonsense.

Competent fiscal management suggests that the morereliable the data, the more informed the analysis andpolicymaking. Preference for a lower GDP even if it is lessreliable is a peculiar curiosity.

Finally, I must mention the fiscal advisor who noted thatwe are not yet at pre-recession debt to GDP levels. I must askwhere he has been. Certainly he would not have checked hishome country or most other countries in the world for thatmatter – in a very long time.

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38 IslandScene 2011/2

rand Bahama Island lies fifty-five miles off the coast ofFlorida and north of Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas. Herclimate is tropical, a warm eighty degrees throughout the yearand cooled by billowy ocean breezes.

Major areas are the more metropolitan town of Freeportand the contrastingly quiet bay of Port Lucaya.

At West End, the island’s oldest settlement, you’ll findlocal fishermen pulling in their catch in much the samemanner as their ancestors did centuries ago.

Above and below her 51-mile shoreline, this gloriousisland has it all. Shallow, sea-green waters as clear as glass.Championship-rated golf courses. Sea dives with dolphins.Fabulous multi-million dollar resorts. Junkanoo Festivals.Haute cuisine. Pink flamingos. The best bargain-buys any-where (worldly and Bahamian). Tamarind forests. And ofcourse, all those exquisite miles of serene, powder-softbeaches.

Divers come here to hunt ancient shipwrecks (somerecovered coins are valued in the millions) and to try the“The Dolphin Experience” first hand. An equally exhilarat-ing dive which can be arranged through UNEXSO is in the“blue holes” of Lucayan National Park; openings in the landwhich lead to the largest explored underwater cave system inthe world.

GBahama Island

Grand

IslandScene 2011/2 39

ack on terra firma, duty-free shopping is anotherheady sport. Strike out for the fascinating InternationalBazaar where imports from four continents are priced asmuch as 40% below retail (luxuries like South Africanemeralds, French perfumes, Irish linens). Hit the malls atthe Regent Centre downtown or the eighty-five waterfrontshops at Port Lucaya. And be sure not to miss the big localStraw Market, where bartering for island-made curios isloads of fun.

Speaking of hits and misses, few islands compete with

Grand Bahama Island

Grand Bahama’s exceptionally well-designed golf courses.Packed with water, bunker and prevailing-wind hazards,her 18-hole, 12-par championship courses have tested theskill (and patience) of some of the game’s best players.

So grab your sunglasses, bathing-suit and an emptycarry-back bag or two. Pack your goggles, snorkels, tennisracquet and camera, your most trusted golf clubs andputter.

Grand Bahama Island is waiting to welcome you toher shores!

B


Grand Bahama IslandCity/Settlement: Freeport/Lucaya

Location: 55 miles east of the Florida coast

Size: 96 miles long from east to west; 17miles across at its widest point

Population: Approximately 50,000

History:

The earliest settlers on Grand Bahama Island were possibly theSiboney Indians, a Stone Age culture which arrived in the Caribbeanabout 4,000 years ago but subsequently disappeared. The next tosettle were the Lucayans, of whom there were an estimated 4,000living on Grand Bahama Island at the time of ChristopherColumbus’s sighting of San Salvador. Great Britain claimed TheIslands Of The Bahamas in 1670, after British colonists leftBermuda for the island of Eleuthera, where they sought religiousindependence. The island experienced an economic boom duringthe Civil War, as smugglers profited from the Union blockade onthe Confederate states, and again during Prohibition. The islandchanged forever in the 1950s with the dawn of tourism, largelyinitiated by Wallace Groves, an American financier living on theisland. He approached the Bahamian government in 1955 with theidea to build a town that catered to both industry and tourists. Theresult was economic success and a community now ideal fortourism, vacationing and investing.

Shopping:

Grand Bahama Island offers an exciting array of crafts, souvenirs,and other items to the interested shopper. Port LucayaMarketplace & Marina, another shopping destination, is a complexon the harbour filled with shops, restaurants and bars, as well asnightly live entertainment. Named after the famous jazzentertainer, Count Basie Square lies in the center of Port Lucaya’sentertainment district. At any time of day, tropical beats pulsefrom this popular gathering spot. The square’s busy event calendarincludes parades, festivals, calypso and limbo dancing.Additionally, The Bahamas Arts & Crafts Straw Market sellslocally made jewelry, paintings and colorful handicraftsconstructed from straw and wood.

Activities:

Vacationers to Grand Bahama Island experience world-classwater sports including snorkeling, scuba diving, bonefishing,

Airline Service:

Only 55 miles east of the coast of Florida, Grand Bahama Islandis a convenient and accessible place to visit. The following airlinesprovide service to Grand Bahama Island:

American Eagle (800-433-7300),Bahamasair (800-222-4262),Continental/Gulfstream

International Airlines (800-231-0856),Delta Airlines (800-241-4141),Spirit Airlines (800-772-7117) andUS Airways (800-622-1015)

Attractions:

The Heritage Trail:

A stretch of the road near Freetown, this has become one of theisland’s chief nature walks. Along the easy, five-mile trek are over30 species of plants, 18 types of birds, seven species of butterfly,and what remains of “The Hermitage,” the oldest intact buildingon Grand Bahama, dating back to 1901.

Lucayan National Park:

Established in 1982, Lucayan National Park contains uplandforests, rare flower species, mangrove creeks, and Gold RockBeach, a magnificent beach providing an unparalleled glimpse intothe complexities of the Grand Bahamian environment. It is theonly place where you can see all six of the islands’ ecosystems. Itis also home to one of the world’s longest underwater systems oflimestone caves, which served as a burial place for the Lucayanpeople.

UNEXSO:

Located on the Port Lucaya Marina, UNEXSO, the UnderwaterExplorers Society, offers a wide variety of diving and dolphinexperiences, including the popular Dolphin Swims, wheretravelers can interact with the dolphins in a protected lagoon.

sport-fishing, kayaking, parasailing and boating. Tennis,volleyball, horseback riding and cricket are popular on theisland, which is furthermore known as the “golf capital of theCaribbean.”


Accommodations> Grand Bahama Island

Bell Channel Inn

King’s Road, P.O. Box F43817, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-373-1053 Fax: 242-373-2886Website: www.bellchannelinn.com

Best Western Castaways Resort & Suites

P.O. Box F 42629, Freeport, Grand Bahama. Phone: 242-352-6682Fax: 242-352-5087. E-mail: [email protected]: www.bestwestern.com/ bs/castawaysresortandsuitesThe ideal getaway for everyone. From the sports enthusiast, to the businessperson, for families, honeymooners or those who simply want to relax.With 118 Caribbean-styled, fully renovated, beautifully appointed roomsand suites, Castaways Resort & Suites will delight all.

Grand Bahama IslandPinetree Stables:

As the biggest stable in The Bahamas, Pinetree Stables has morethan 50 horses ready to jaunt down the beach. The two-hour, guidedhorseback trail rides take visitors through endangered pine forests,past orange groves, along the beach and into the ocean. Ridingexperience not required.

Grand Bahama Nature Tours:

As a leading eco-tour operator on Grand Bahama Island for thepast 15 years, Grand Bahama Nature Tours offers guided kayaking,snorkeling, biking, hiking, jeep and bird watching tours. All toursinvolve light to moderate activity and are fully guided by friendly,highly trained, professional personnel. Most guides are nativesof The Bahamas, and they take pleasure in acquainting visitorswith the flora, fauna, history and culture of the islands.

Other Information:

U.S. currency is accepted and is interchangeable with theBahamian dollar. In September through May, the temperature onthe Island averages 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit; the rest of theyear is warmer, with temperatures between 80 and 85 degrees.Nighttime temperatures are generally cooler by 5-7 degrees. Theentry requirement for U.S. and Canadian residents is proof ofcitizenship, in the form of either a passport or an original, raised-seal birth certificate and a photo ID (e.g. a valid driver’s license).All U.S. citizens and foreign nationals traveling to the United Statesfrom The Bahamas are required to present a valid passport oranother secure, accepted document to enter the United States.

Bishop’s Bonefish Resort

High Rock, P.O. Box F-42029, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-353-4515 /Fax: 242-353-4417Website: www.gbweekly.com/bishopbonefishLocated on the beach, the resort’s luxurious rooms Include two double beds,air conditioning, and refrigerator satellite TV and coffee pots. Activitiesavailable include snorkeling, volleyball and bone fishing. Dining next doorat Bishop’s Beach Club features all native dishes and specializes in crackedconch.

Channel House Resort

P.O. Box F40567, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-373-5405 Fax: 242-351-3546

Coral Beach Hotel

P.O. Box F42468, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-373-2468/9 Fax: 242-373-5140E-mail: [email protected]: www.bahamasvg.com/coralbeachOffers peace and tranquility for the visitor looking to relax and enjoy thesimplicity and beauty of a tropical paradise. Oceanside pool, lounge chairsand beach umbrellas, poolside snack bar, and convenience store, airconditioning, golf nearby (short drive), kitchen, ceiling fans, casino, exercisefacilities, sailing, waterskiing, laundry facilities, TV, snorkeling and fishing.

Deep Water Cay Club

P.O. Box F40039, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-353-3073 Fax: 242-353-3095E-mail: [email protected]: www.deepwatercay.com

Flamingo Bay Yacht Club & Marina Hotel

Jolly Roger Drive, P.O. Box F43819, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-373-4682/5640. Fax: 242-373-4421E-mail: [email protected]: www.flamingobayhotel.comLocated on canal, 200 yards from our beautiful beach. Adjoining rooms areavailable; microwave, telephone, satellite TV, more. Enjoy our PiratesTheme Park, mini-golf, water-park, gift shop, tennis, 3 restaurants, fishing,ferry service to Port Lucama, Water-sports, volleyball, basketball, more.

Freeport Resort & Club

Rum Cay Drive, P.O. Box 1"42514, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-352-5371 Fax: 242-352-8425E-mail: [email protected]. Website: www.freeportresort.com


Island Palm Resort

P.O. Box F44881, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-352-6648 Fax: 242-352-6640E-mail: [email protected]: www.bahamasvg.com/islandsisters.htmlLocated minutes from the International Bazaar and walking distance fromdowntown shopping, this 150-room resort offers a restaurant. poolside snackbar and complimentary beach shuttle.

Island Seas Resort

Silver Point, P.O. Box F44735, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-373-1271 Fax: 242-373-1275E-mail: [email protected]

New Victoria Inn Hotel

Midshipman Road/Victoria Place,P.O. Box F-41261, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-373-3040 Fax: 242-373-3874Website: www.hotelguide.com

Ocean Reef Yacht Club Resort

48-60 Bahama Reef Blvd., P.O. Box F-42695, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-373-4661/2 Fax: 242-373-8261E-mail: [email protected]. Website: www.oryc.comSituated on a lovely marina, the resort offers 63 luxury 1, 2 & 3-bedroom villas andsuites, some with their own Jacuzzi. Dockage is also available. All units are fullyequipped with mini or full kitchens, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, TV, airconditioning and some with washer and dryer and dishwasher. Activities ,on-site,include complimentary cocktail party on Mondays, shuttle service on scheduleddays, 2 pool snack bars, tennis courts and kids’ playground.

Old Bahama Bay

P.O. Box F-42546, West End, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-350-6500; 800-572-5711Fax: 242-346-6546E-mail: [email protected]: www.olclbahamabay.comOld Bahama Bay is a new, luxury, boutique-style hotel set in West End onthe tip of Grand Bahama Island. In addition to all oceanfront suites, theresort offers a number of dining options, a full-service marina and exceptionalactivities including bone and deep-sea fishing, freshwater pool, snorkel trails,massage services, sailing and much more.

Grand Bahama IslandRadisson Our Lucaya Resort and Our LucayaReef Village

P.O. Box F-42500, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-350-5000 or 877-0UR-LUCAYA (687-5822) /Fax: 242-373-8804. Website: www.ourlucaya.comUnwind at Grand Bahama’s newest beachfront resort. Choose to relax inthe peace and tranquility of Lighthouse Pointe or our family-friendly ReefVillage, or stay in the heart of everything in Breakers Cay. With 7 1/2 acresof beach, 4 pools, 2 golf courses, the Butch Hannon School of Golf, 14restaurants and lounges, relaxing spa and fitness center, a complimentarychildren’s camp and much more, there is something for everyone.

Paradise Cove Beach Resort

P.O. Box F-42771, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-349-2677 Fax: 242-352-5471E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.deadmansreef.comParadise Cove offers The Bahamas like no one else can. Our secludedbeach offers a day of relaxation without the crowds or vendors. Come andenjoy the snorkeling, swimming, kayaking or doing nothing at all.Accommodations include 2-bedroom villas, I-bedroom units and a 2-bedroomcottage.

Pelican Bay at Lucaya

P.O. Box F-42654, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-373-9550 Fax: 242-373-9551E-mail: [email protected] Bay at Lucaya, a boutique hotel with distinctive Europeanarchitecture, offers spectacular views of Lucayan Bay. Ninety rooms, 48suites. Guests have full access to Our Lucaya facilitiy.

Pelican Bay at Lucaya

As Grand Bahama Island’s most hospitable hotel, Pelican Bay atLucaya is a joyful mix of colorful Bahamian architecture and thefinest guest service in the Caribbean.

One hundred and eighty six unique waterside rooms andwaterside state rooms enfold you in comfort, while offering specialguest touches. Renowned standards of hospitality and attention toguest happiness assure you of a memorable stay in the Bahamas.

Part of the Pelican Bay experience is located within steps ofyour room. In addition to our waterfront Sabor Restaurant and Bar,more than 30 restaurants, bars, shops, live entertainment, the DolphinExperience, scuba diving, snorkeling, and deep-sea fishing trips are ashort stroll away.

Pelican Bay has invested over $9 million in the development ofThe Canal House, a five story building offering a total of 30,680


square feet (2,850 square meters) of highly flexible meeting, functionspace and a breakfast restaurant.

Our Canal House is designed to cater to small corporatemeetings and conferences, as well as destination and local weddingsand other social functions, where attendees can conduct or attend ameeting in a fun, tropical, authentically Bahamian atmosphere,including four acres of colorful, lush tropical gardens. Ideal for boardmeetings and corporate retreats, The Canal House enhances thehotel’s reputation of a quiet, waterfront refuge in the heart of all thatGrand Bahama has to offer.Visit our website at www.pelicanbayhotel.com

Port Lucaya Resort & Yacht Club

P.O. Box F42452, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 800-582-2921; 242-373-6618. Fax: 242-373-6652E-mail:[email protected]: www.portlucayaresort.comGrand Bahama Islands most relaxing 160-room resort is situated on afive-acre peninsula surrounded by a multi-million-dollar marina.Located in the heart of the Lucaya resort area.

(The) Redwood Inn

Jolly Rodger Drive, P.O. Box F-43819. Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-373-4682, Fax: 242-373-4424. E-mail: [email protected]

Ritz Beach Resort

Jolly Rodger Drive, P.O. Box F43819. Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-33-4682 Fax: 242-3734424E-mail: [email protected]: www.ritzbeach.com

The Royal Islander

P.O. Box F-42549, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-352-6000, Fax: 242-351-3546Email: [email protected]: www.bahamasvg.com/royalisLander.htmlAcross the street from the International Bazaar, the Royal Islander offerspool, snack bar, restaurant, live entertainment, children’s playground,jacuzzi, changing rooms and a complimentary shuttle to Xanadu Beach.

Royal Palm Resort

East Mall/Settler’s Way, P.O. Box F-44900, Freeport, Grand BahamasPhone: 242-352-3428, Fax: 242-352-5759. E-mail:[email protected]

Grand Bahama IslandSt. Tropez Marina

20 Dundee Bay Drive, P.O. Box F-40587. Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-352-9225, Fax: 242-352-8128

Viva Fortuna Beach

P.O. Box F-42398, Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 800-398-9968, 242-373-4000. Fax: 242-373-5555E-mail:[email protected]: www.vivaresorts.comWe are Grand Bahama’s premier all-inclusive resort with 276 tropicallydecorated rooms, sitting on 26 acres of prime beachfront property with1200 feet of sandy white beaches, offering an extensive selection of land &water sport activities & entertainment.

Xanadu Beach Resort & Marina

Sunken Treasure Drive, P.O. Box F42438,Freeport, Grand BahamaPhone: 242-352-6782 Fax: 242-352-6299 E-mail: [email protected]: www.bahamasvg.com/xanaduhotel.html

Resources>

AirportFreeport International Airport - (Freeport) 242-352-6020

Airlines

American Eagle – 1-800-433-7300Bahamasair – 242-352-8341Continental Connection- 1-800-231-0856Delta Airlines – 1-800-221-1212Sky Bahamas - 1-242-351-5614 Regional Air -242-352-7121Western Air -242-351-3804

Attractions / Water sports

Dolphin Experience - (Lucaya) 242-373-1250 / 373-3943East End Adventures - (East End) 242-373-1652/340-6662/359-4210Kayak Nature Tours - (East End) 242-373-2485Paradise Cove - (Deadpan’s Reef) 242-349-2677/348-2677Paraise Water sports (Xanadu Beach & Marina Resort) 242-352-2887Parrot Jungle’s Galden of the Groves (Lucaya) 242-373-5668Smiling Pat’s Adventures -242-373-6395Sweeting’s Cay Bone fishing - (East End) Phone: 242-353-3960Underwater Explorers Society - (Adjacent to Port Lucaya Market-place) 242-373-1244 / Superior Water-Sports. 242-373-7863


Tour Operators / Ground Handlers

Best Island Travel & Tour – Freeport 242-352-4811Executive Tours, Port Lucaya Marketplace 242-352-8858Expert Travel & Tours Lid. - (Freeport) 242-351-4004H. Forbes Charters Service - (Freeport) 242-352-9311Kayak Nature Tours, Freeport – 242-373-2485

Sunny Isles Vacations -242-351-5778

Restaurants / Nightclubs

China Beach, Our Lucaya – 242-373-1444:Superb Asian Cuisine, prepared in an atmosphere of elegance.Sorba’s, Port Lucaya Marketplace – 242-373-6137:Authentic Greek Cuisine, served in a relaxing casual setting.Outriggers Restaurant - (Smith’s Point) 242-373-4811:Authentic Native Bahamian dishes, superbly prepared in a relaxingbeach-front atmosphere.Luciano’s Restaurant (Lucaya Marketplace) 242-373-9100:Located in Port Lucaya Marketplace, we serve the finest French andContinental cuisine, served in an atmosphere of sophisticated elegance.Hong Kong Cuisine, International Bazaar – 242-352-7661:Specializing in world-famous Cantonese dishes.Magnolia Café – 242-351-7947:Fine Bistro dining in a casually elegant setting. Agave, Port Lucaya Marketplace – 242-373-8446:Latin Fusion Cuisine.Cappuccino’s, Port Lucaya Marketplace – 242-373-8446:The finest Italian Cuisine, elegantly prepared.

Dive OperationsUnderwater Explorers Society - 242-373-1244

Churches

Assembly of Brethren Freeport Gospel -242-373-5600Anglican Episcopal Church of Christ The King -242-352-5255Calvary Temple Assembly of God - 242-352-7578Central Church of God -242-373-3464Church of Christ -242-373-1082Freeport Seventh-Day Adventist Church - 242-373-3349First Baptist Church -242-352-9224

Grace Church of the Nazarene - 242-34·8-3638Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall - 242-351-6711Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church - 242-373-3300Our Savior Lutheran Church -242-373-3500Presbyterian Kirk -242-373-4961SI. Paul’s Methodist Church -242-373-5752

Car Rental

Avis Car Rental-242-352-7666Bahama Buggies - (Forest Ave.) 242-352-8750Cartwright’s Auto (Grand Bahama Intl. Airport) 242-351-3002Dollar Rent-A-Car (Airport Road) 242-352-9325Econo Car & Bike Rental – Old Airport Road: 242-351-6700Hertz- Rent-A-Car, Old Airport Road

Shopping

Colombian Emeralds Int’l.-(Port Lucaya Marketplace/Int’l Bazaar)242-352-5464Port Lucaya Marketplace - (Lucaya) 242-373-8446/373-9091

Travel

Destinations – 242-351-9230Gateway Travel Services – 242-351-9651Global Express Travel – 242-352-4885Travel Network Vacation Central – 2432-351-7433Wide World Travel - (Freeport) 242-352-6253

Golf Courses

Our Lucaya Reef Course -242-373-1066The Emerald Golf Course -242-352-9661The Ruby Golf Course -242-352-9661

Grand Bahama Island



The MostAdvantageous

Location!

Grand Bahama Island

N owhere, in the region, will you find a better centrefor business, with luxury communities, state of the arttelecommunications capabilities or a comparablequality of life. In Freeport, development is themandate of a private corporation, The Grand BahamaPort Authority which understands and delivers toyour needs.

Grand Bahama Island is the most northerly islandin The Bahamas, an archipelago of sub-tropicalislands covering some 100,000 square miles of opensea.

Grand Bahama is a dynamic and stable economicpowerhouse located just 50 miles from the coast ofNorth America. It has achieved this enviable statethanks to one man’s vision, just over half a centuryago, that led to the deepwater harbour and plannedcity of Freeport. Its many competitive advantages,including tax-free status, have transformed Freeportinto a major investment centre with an exceptionallyhigh standard of living. It is an idyllic destinationwith a balmy climate, perfect beaches and awelcoming population.


Grand Bahama Island

The Freeport Container Port.

Why Smart Companies Choose Grand Bahama

The landmark Hawksbill Creek Agreement thatestablished Freeport not only gave GBPA administrative andregulatory powers, but granted investors a wide range ofeconomic concessions and benefits including:

• Structured exemption from taxes on real andpersonal property, capital gains and earnings,

• Stamp duty, excise and export taxes.

• Duty exemptions for all capital developmentand supplies for business operations.

• Duty free housing for Business Licensees andtheir employees.

• Facilitation of construction, environmental andother regulatory permits.

• Municipal support for long-term developmentand operations.

• Immediate access to required servicesinfrastructure.

• Provision of social infrastructure as may berequired for operations.Further advantagesinclude:

• The deepest, largest and most strategicallylocated international shipping port in theregion.

• Fifty years of industrial development.


Grand Bahama Island

Freeport Shipyard.

• Highly skilled labour force.

• Advanced telecoms, utilities and supportservices.

• An excellent mix of international businesses.

Many international corporations have alreadyrecognized the broad range of investment and growthopportunities and have laid a foundation of success thatmakes Freeport an attractive base of operations for com-panies from virtually any business sector. The growing listof companies and contemporary entrepreneurs that havemade Freeport their preferred location for business include:

• Allied Signal Ltd. • Associated Grocers Inc.• Bradford Marine Led. • Carnival Cruise Lines• Caribbean Crossings • Cable Bahamas

• Cendant • First Caribbean Intl. Bank• Harcourt International • Hutchison Whampoa Limited• Innotech Ltd. • Martin Marietta Aggregates• Motherwell Bridge • Mirant• Oceanic Bank & Trust • Pharmachem Technologies• Polymers International Ltd. • Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines• Scotiabank • Steel HQ Bahamas• The Royal Bank of Canada • Veolia Environmental Services

Grand Bahama has first class amenities and infra-structure. With a high standard of infrastructure includingwide open streets, a lack of congestion, well plannedcommunities, separate commercial and residential zones,well maintained pathways and miles of waterside locations.

The city has an infrastructure to maintain a populationof 200,000 additional residents.


The Grand Bahama Port Authority Corporate Offices. Bahamas Oil Refining Company (BORCO)

Cable Network

Cable Bahamas Ltd. is a major telecommunicationsprovider on the island of Grand Bahama. The companysupplies more than 100 cable television channels, digitalmusic services and its Coral Wave broadband Internetaccess to thousands of residences and businesses on GrandBahama Island. With options ranging from 512Kb/s to over1Gb/s the company delivers commercial Internet service toevery major hotel, international and national banks, legaland accounting offices, retail companies as well asgovernment agencies. For more information please visitwww.cablebahamas.com

Education

On Grand Bahama Island there are 13 high schoolsand 27 primary schools. The Bahamas offers post-secondary education through college and vocationaleducation; other post-secondary options are readilyaccessible in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.There arefour major educational institutions on the island ofGrand Bahama:

• The College of the Bahamas offers Associatesand Bachelors, programs, as well as a variety ofCertificate programs.

Health

The Community Health Services in Grand Bahama,together with the Rand Memorial Hospital, form a LocalHealth System, which is called the Grand Bahama HealthSystem. The Rand Memorial Hospital, located in Freeport,Grand Bahama, was originally opened in 1969 as a privatefacility known as the Grand Bahama Clinic. This facilitybecame a public hospital in 1971. There are also privatemedical clinics.

• Success Training College offers Associates andBachelors programs

• Ross University is a leader in internationalmedical education. Since 1978, more than 9,000students have obtained their M.D. and D.V.M.degrees from Ross.

• Nova Southeastern University is the largestindependent institution of higher education in theSoutheast United States, and it is the 6th largestindependent institution nationally. NSU awardsassociate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s, at theirsatellite campus in Grand Bahama.

Grand Bahama Island


Port Lucaya features eighty-five waterfront shops and restaurants.

Grand Bahama IslandPostal Service

The National Postal service offers air and surface mailservices for inter-island and to all foreign countries. There isone central delivery service from which boxes are rented atinexpensive rates. There are also a number of worldwidecourier services available including FEDEX and UPS &DHL.

Power

The Grand Bahama Power Company is an integratedutility that generates, transmits, distributes, and sellselectricity on the island. The Company supplies electric

power to Grand Bahama Island’s approximately 18,000residential, commercial, and industrial customers. GrandBahama Power’s transmission and distribution assetsinclude over 800 miles of lines.For more information pleasecontact www.gb-power.com.

WaterGrand Bahamas’ abundant fresh water is a natural

resource unmatched in the Caribbean area. The GrandBahama Utility Company, Ltd. pumps 7 million gallonsdaily of fresh, pure water, via state-of-the-art pipenetworks. The system is adequate for a modern city of

250,000, almost the entire population of The Bahamas.Rainfall averages 58 inches per year, replenishing thenatural ground aquifer, a vast lens of fresh water locatedunder the island.

Radio and Television

The Bahamas Broadcasting Corporation, a publiccorporation, provides radio and television servicesthroughout the Bahamas. The main station, Radio Bahamas(ZNS-1), has been operating since May 1936 and has afrequency of 1540 kHz. It operates 24 hours a day andserves the entire country. Private radio has been approvedby government, 100 JAMZ, COOL96 and 102.1 are three

local private radio stations broadcasting from GrandBahama. Other National Fm Radio Stations are MORE FMand LOVE 97.

TelecommunicationsThe Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd

(BTC) has been the regulator and provider of telecomm-unication services in the Bahamas for 100 years. Today theCompany offers modern, fully digital switching networksproviding high-speed communications services to residentialand business consumers throughout The Bahamas. Theseservices are transmitted via fiber optics, copper, coaxial,satellite and wireless media. For more information pleasevisit BTC’s website @ http://www.btcbahamas.com

Freeport Golf Course.


Grand Bahama IslandProfessional Assistance

For any Professional Services needed on the island ofGrand Bahama please use the directory search enginelocated at www.gbpa.com/licensee.php

Establishing a BusinessEstablishing a business in the Bahamas involves approvalsby several governmental or regulatory agencies dependingon the type of business being established and the industry inwhich the business will operate.Below is a general outline of this process. For more specificinquiries, please contact the Grand Bahama Port Authority.

Becoming a Licensee

The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited [GBPA] isresponsible for licensing all businesses within the ‘PortArea’ of Grand Bahama Island, and has an efficient processfor approving new investment. Potential investors canexpect to receive helpful guidance from GBPA’s LicensingDepartment every step of the way to make the process asstraightforward and effortless as possible.

There is a huge scope for future investment across arange of sectors including trade, industry, real estate,tourism, financial services and technology. And no otherlocation in the region can offer the diversity of land that isavailable on Grand Bahama Island. For investors of allkinds, the excellent transport and communicationsinfrastructure and the wonderful, almost carefree way oflife, have proved an irresistible combination.

The documents required forapplying for a License are:

• Application form completed and submittedAppendix “A” and Affidavit of Character Formscompleted and submitted (In the event ofpartnership, these Forms must be completed byeach Shareholder)

• Non-refundable processing fee

• Submission of Business and Bank References

• Submission of Financial, Business and PersonalReferences for each Shareholder, with personalidentity data to enable independent backgroundsearch and verification.

• Any other pertinent information that may supportthe application, including Business Plan andexplanation on goods / services to be produced /provided.

The majority of companies formed in the Bahamas foroffshore purposes are incorporated under the InternationalBusiness Companies Act 1989. However this law did notsupersede the existing companies law, most recently re-stated in the Companies Act 1992, which is based onEnglish law and is used to form various types of companiesused by businesses trading in the Bahamas, and also forcertain other special purposes.

Companies formed under the Companies Act 1992 canbe private companies limited by shares or by guarantee, orcan be public companies. For all these types of companies,Memorandum and Articles of Association must be filed atthe Companies Registry, there need to be a minimum oftwo members, and there must be a registered office in theBahamas. If a company is going to trade locally, it will needan appropriate business license.
