News
Commonwealth Bank Reports 2014 Unaudited Year End Results
Nassau, 25 Feb 2015 – Commonwealth Bank, today, reported unaudited total profit of $53 million in 2014. Total assets closed to $1.47 billion at December 31, 2014. Earnings were up 7% over 2013 when the Bank reported total profit of $50 million. Total assets were up 3% over 2013.
“I am pleased with the Bank’s results in 2014,” said William B. Sands Jr., Executive Chairman of Commonwealth Bank.
“They confirm that our business strategy remains appropriate and that our staff remains both capable and dedicated to the plan as laid out by the Board and Executive Management.”
The improvement reported in total profit for the year was despite the introduction of a new $5 million turnover based business license fee in 2014.
Interest Expense declined in 2014 as the chronic excess liquidity in the system continued to depress deposit interest rates. For 2014 interest expense was $31.7 million compared to $35.5 million a year earlier. Sands noted that, “Although the bank grew its loan book by 3% in 2014 – the timing of the growth was such that it did not materially impact fiscal 2014. We expect to see the full impact of the growth in 2015 when the new loans would have earned interest for a full year.”
Amid an environment of high nonperforming loans, Commonwealth Bank continued to record low levels of impairment in its portfolio when compared to the industry averages. As a result the Bank was able to reduce its loan impairment expenses by $3.4 million compared to 2013. Charged Off Loans declined by almost $6.5 million in 2014 to $28.4 million, while at the same time, Balance Sheet allowances for loan impairment increased by $1.2 million over 2013 to $55.5 million. On December 31, 2014, Commonwealth Bank’s impaired loans represented 5.8% of its total outstanding loans. The industry’s impaired loans, as reported by The Central Bank, were 16.1% of aggregate loans of all banks.
The Bank’s total expenses grew by 10% in 2014 which equated to $5.9 million. Total Group taxes and license fees increased by $4.2 million over 2013. Apart from the increase in tax and government license fees, most of the remaining increase was in variable costs.
Commonwealth Bank continues to report strong capital and liquidity ratios with a capital ratio of 27.9% and a liquidity ratio of 33.6% compared to the requirements of The Central Bank of 17% and 20% respectively.
The Bank’s earnings per share was $0.49, return on assets was 3.3% and return on equity was 23.1%. These all compare favourably with 2013 when the Bank reported $0.46, 3.1%, and 23.0%, respectively.
The Bank continued to share its success with its shareholders through uninterrupted quarterly dividend payments. Dividend payments totaled $0.30 per share in 2014 and were unchanged from 2013.
Showing appreciation for the results, Sands pronounced “Commonwealth Bank remains grateful to our customers and shareholders for their continued support. I want to personally thank every member of our team of dedicated professionals who are integral to our success.”
Commonwealth Bank is the largest Bahamian owned bank listed on BISX. The Bank is a market leader in service and convenience, operating eleven branches in New Providence, Abaco and Grand Bahama and employs over 530 staff.
Please visit the Bank‘s website at www.combankltd.com for information on Commonwealth Bank’s dividend payment history, other financial reporting information and a full set of audited financial statements which will be published on our website within the time frame established by BISX.
Caribbean News
Agriculture Ministry Providing Two Water Trucks to Serve St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine
#Kingston, Jamaica, April 24, 2024 – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is to unveil two more water trucks this week, which will be used to service communities in St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine.
Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure during Wednesday’s (April 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
He also informed that of the $90 million earmarked to support farmers being impacted by the current drought, the Ministry will be
providing additional support for storage and drip-irrigation systems.
“So, we have targeted about 600 water tanks and about 400 12-millimetre drip irrigation hoses, and that distribution has already started. Additionally, we have earmarked about $8 million to really help with our livestock farmers,” Mr. Green said.
“We know the difficulty that you’re facing now in this time; [it’s] very hard to get the right nutritional support for your animals. As such, we will be providing some hay, and we will [also] provide some trucking of water to you. Again, our livestock farmers, if you are in need, please contact the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and let us see how we can help in these times,” he further stated.
Mr. Green also encouraged farmers to download the RADA App, so that the Agency can “help guide you, not only in relation to what is happening on the rainfall side, but also in relation to your integrated pest management”.
“We do see some increases of certain types of pests during this time, and it’s important that our farmers are paying attention to that. It’s also important that you’re taking drought management seriously [by undertaking] soil mulching, looking at planting drought-tolerant crops, timely harvesting, implementing land husbandry treatments and contour ditches,” he stated.
Contact: Latonya Linton
Release: JIS
Photo Caption: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, speaking during Wednesday’s (April 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
Donald De La Haye Photo
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, April 19, 2024 – In an attempt to move to 24-hour-a-day operations Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) is steadily recruiting Air Traffic Controllers to work at the Providenciales/Howard Hamilton International Airport, according to Godfrey Smith, TCIAA CEO, reporting to the Appropriations Committee.
Speaking on April 8th Smith said a cabinet paper would be sent soon requesting six more Air Traffic Controllers to make round the clock operation at the Provo International possible and to open the airport in Grand Turk till 12 a.m.
Currently, 17 posts are filled and seven are vacant.
Smith was candid with his responses to recent industrial action from ATCs which led to resignations and firings.
“What we have to do is find systems to mitigate such actions and that has to start with filling these jobs, putting people in that want to
work and doing right by people – and we always try to do right by our staff. Persons may not think that we are but we always do – we ain’t pick no fight,” he said in the meetings held at the NJS Francis building ahead of the National Budget Communication.
Smith indicated that recruitment was an issue across the board, ‘we need to find ways to recruit a little bit better’ he told the committee. Also in need of a push was capital spending or projects according to the CEO, who said the agency had ‘not been very good’ at meeting that mark but insisted they had recognized the issue and could do better.
A very important key performance indicator drawn up by the TCIAA is increasing passenger satisfaction at the Howard Hamilton International Airport. For the TCIAA part of this means a 30 percent increase in seating by Q2 of this year.
When queried on if they could even handle this increase the CEO said,
“The fact of the matter is we already have the capacity there. What we need is to make the service a bit better.”
Staff shortages have become such a frustrating issue that the TCIAA is instituting a scholarship program created by Authority Chairman, Selvyn Hawkins
“What the board wants to do is basically allocate $25,000 annually for a scholarship and they’ve approved it already.”
This process would cover tuition and all other costs for one student.
The student would return as a summer intern and other breaks to work at the TCIAA and upon graduation, assume a role at the company.
“We identify a particular skill we need, we go after it and we build capacity that is in a nutshell the nexus of the program,” Smith said.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) is allocated $49 million this financial year; over $20 million goes to salaries.
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