Bahamas News

Bahamas Min. Finance vs opposition on Civil servant pay

Published

7 years ago

September 5, 2017

Bahamas, September 3^rd, 2017 – Nassau – When civil servants did not receive their salaries for the month of August, they weren’t the only ones with something to say about it. PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts called it “highly unfortunate and heartless on the part of the prime minister”.

In response to Roberts however, Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, K Peter Turnquest said, “it is unfortunate that Mr. Roberts did not take the time to avail himself of the facts with respect to the non payment of workers. That is, if his true intention was to ensure the well being of those employees.”

On the note of these employees’ well-being, Roberts argued that those affected were parents depending on funds to send their children back to school this week. He said, “while students and their parents suffer because of the terrible policies of Dr. Hubert Minnis which created unnecessary uncertainty, hardship and misery for countless Bahamian families, the prime minister and his foreign minister violated their own self-imposed policy on foreign travel and are enjoying cocktails in Atlanta at the expense of Bahamian taxpayers, hundreds of whom Minnis fired since coming to office.” Roberts even ended his statement by warning the prime minister not to trigger a revolt by civil servants through his actions.

Not affected by this statement, Turnquest rebutted, “do note that the Ministry of Finance continues to work through a litany of unresolved financial and human resource issues left behind by the former PLP administration so as to ensure that all legitimately engaged persons receive their due compensation. The government will not be distracted by idle and duplicitous voices who – when they had their time – squandered the people’s money, and cared little about the actual well-being of Bahamians.”

Despite both differring political view points, Turnquest promised that “the matter has been addressed with the requisite files sent to the respective banks for posting on Friday afternoon. Most if not all of these persons should receive their salaries today.”

Approximately three hundred and thirty two (332) contract workers from the Ministry of Education were not paid on time, due to the fact that their salaries had been “coded”, as their initial contract period had expired and the necessary adjustment had not been made to the system.

Story By: Kay-Marie Fletcher

Related Topics:#BradleyRoberts #CivilServants #KPeterTurnquest #magneticmedianews fnm plp politics

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Bahamas News

Turks and Caicos Islands Hosts Fourth Round of Maritime Boundary Delimitation Talks with the Commonwealth of the Bahamas

Published

4 hours ago

October 7, 2024

Deandrea Hamilton

PRESS RELEASE

FROM THE MINISTRY OF IMMIGRATION

AND BORDER SERVICES

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, supported by the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, successfully held a two-day technical meeting on maritime boundary delimitation. This was the fourth round of discussions to resolve boundary matters under consideration since initial discussions in 1992.

The two-day discussions, hosted by the Turks and Caicos Islands, were held in Providenciales on September 24th and 25th, 2024, and were focused on delimiting the maritime boundary between the Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas in accordance with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Senior officials and technical experts from each of the three countries engaged in productive discussions to advance mutual understanding and cooperation on this complex issue, with the ultimate objective of reaching an eventual and equitable maritime boundary agreement.

These negotiations represent a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to clarify and formalize maritime boundaries, thereby fostering regional stability and enhancing relations between the involved parties.

Bahamas News

Bahamas PM strikes Aviation Agreement with Kuwait

Published

7 hours ago

October 7, 2024

Deandrea Hamilton

Garfield Ekon

Staff Writer

The Bahamas, October 07, 2024 – Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Hon. Phillip Davis and His Highness Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah of Kuwait have expressed optimism about the finalisation of a Civil Aviation Agreement, which will enhance air connectivity between the two nations.

The two leaders who met on September 23, while in New York, the United States (US), where they participated in several concurring events of international importance, as they commemorated 30 years of strong diplomatic relations between The Bahamas and Kuwait.

In addition, they discussed pending initiatives such as agreements on double taxation, which are critical for advancing bilateral cooperation. The Kuwait Investment Authority also “signaled its interest in increasing investments in the Bahamas,” according to a release from the Office of the Prime Minister.

According to the release, Prime Minister Davis highlighted the recent appointment of His Excellency Taran Mackey as Bahamian Ambassador to Kuwait, and discussed ongoing study for the redevelopment of Potters Cay, supported by the Kuwat Fund for Economic Development.

The Prime Minister used the opportunity to underscore The Bahamas’ vulnerability to Climate Change, and advocated for the swift operationalisation of the loss and damage fund, urging developed countries to take action.

His Highness expressed Kuwait’s understanding of the issue, and showed openness to further discussion on the matter. Both parties concluded the meeting with renewed commitment to strengthening diplomatic and economic ties.

Prime Minister Davis was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Ryan Pinder, and Bahamas Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Stan Smith.

Bahamas News

STATEMENT FROM FRED MITCHELL ON THE PASSING OF DAROLD MILLER

Published

1 day ago

October 6, 2024

Deandrea Hamilton

The Bahamas, October 6, 2024 – In 1978, I was the Director of News and Public Affairs at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas. We were looking for talent. I spotted it. He was a sports writer at the Nassau Guardian. I agreed to hire him at the station, first in sports and then in news proper. That was the start of a storied career in broadcast journalism: a charismatic sometimes irascible cross examiner who provided great entertainment and probing inquires for his radio audience both here and in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

It was helpful that I knew his mother because she was the mother of one of my closest friends and later Permanent Secretary Philip Miller. He came from good stock.

There is no doubt that Darold Miller transformed the era of talk radio in The Bahamas and became its leading star. We have lost that star in broadcasting today.

I wish on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, the leadership of our party, to extend condolences and that of my own and my family to his brothers Philip and Sammy, his sister Eunice and to Darold’s own family on his passing. This is very sad indeed. May he rest in peace.