Bahamas News

Bahamas Government to Implement New Accounting System In Order to Better Monitor Country’s Finances

Published

7 years ago

November 14, 2017

#Bahamas, November 14, 2017 – Nassau – The Government of The Bahamas is in the process of moving away from the cash-based form of accounting it presently employs to an accrual based accounting system, Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Hubert A. Minnis said Monday. The move, which is foreshadowed to be implemented at the end of June, 2022 for full central government transitioning to accrual accounting and then 2023 for the public sector at large, is expected to better strengthen the Government’s accounting framework by ensuring greater transparency and accountability in public sector finances, while allowing officials to better monitor government debt and liabilities.

An accrual method of accounting records revenues and expenses when they are incurred, regardless of when cash is exchanged. The term “accrual” refers to any individual entry recording revenue or expense in the absence of a cash transaction.

Prime Minister Minnis said the new system would also allow for government’s use of high-quality information to make informed and sound spending decisions, while properly managing the nation’s assets and liabilities. Addressing a Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants Seminar Monday (November 13, 2017) at Melia Nassau Beach resort, Prime Minister Minnis said the current system of accounting employed is “woefully lacking” in providing government with a complete and accurate view of financial activities and reporting.

“As many of you know, the Government still uses the cash basis of accounting in compliance with IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards); cash basis is woefully lacking in providing us with a complete and accurate view of financial activities and reporting,” Dr. Minnis said.

“As policymakers, we value the importance of financial reporting that meets international standards. It is essential that we are in a position to utilize high-quality information to make informed and sound spending decisions, while properly managing our assets and liabilities.

“This is critical to us securing more sustainable public sector finances, achieving greater credibility in policymaking and building a more durable economic future for our country. It is also vital to delivering on acceptable levels of transparency and accountability in government’s financial management,” Prime Minister Minnis added.

Dr. Minnis said the Government’s resolve in this regard is underscored by the prominence it has given to fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability in its governing mandate.

“To provide an update to our efforts, the Government’s Working Group produced a concept paper outlining the road map for the implementation of accrual-based accounting and the implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standards for budgeting, accrual accounting and financial reporting.

“Moving to accrual-based accounting will ensure greater transparency and accountability in public sector finances, as well as, a better monitoring of government debt and liabilities.

“The potential harm of the absence of these prudent practices were exposed in our recent assessment of the fiscal outcome for Fiscal Year, 2016/2017. As you know, high levels of unbudgeted expenditure arrears are poised to elevate the actual overall fiscal deficit some five times higher than originally budgeted. The lack of transparency and accountability inherent in cash basis accounting is unsustainable and breeds mistrust,” Prime Minister Minnis added.

Prime Minister Minnis said coincident with the exercise to improve financial reporting, the Government also has a roadmap to modernize and align the existing chart of accounts (COA) with best practices and the International Monetary Fund’s Government Finance Statistics reporting standards.

Work on the COA re-design, which commenced in 2014, is expected to be completed and fully implemented, for July 1, 2018. (A chart of accounts [COA] is a financial organizational tool that provides a complete listing of every account in an accounting system.)

“In the 2017/2018 Budget Communication, the Government announced plans to introduce fiscal rules as a means of achieving a credible and sustainable reduction in the fiscal deficit and the debt position,” Prime Minister Minnis said.

“With the assistance of the IMF, we are making progress in defining a sound framework that will include controls on certain recurrent expenditures; taking more decisive steps with pension reform and better managing subsidies to our state-owned enterprises.

“Successful implementation of this framework depends on our ability to measure our performance which is contingent upon having the proper financial management systems to provide the data needed for analysis, but transitioning public financial reporting to accrual-basis accounting is no small feat. We have targeted a date of end of June 2022 for full central government transitioning to accrual accounting and then 2023 for the public sector at large,” Prime Minister Minnis added.

By: Matt Maura (BIS)

Photo caption: Prime Minister Minnis addressing Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants Seminar, November 13, 2017 at Melia Nassau Beach.

(BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)

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Bahamas News

Get your laugh on, March On, family drama by Gea Pierre, debut this weekend in Turks and Caicos

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2024

Shanieka

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale again this weekend, the show debuts Friday night.

Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew where shows are set for Brayton Hall, for Friday May 10 at 8pm and Saturday has two showings; matinee at 4pm and evening, 8pm.

Tickets are $75 VIP. General admission is $60.

“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attentattention.

The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.

“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.”

And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations.

Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. The full team returns on Friday, May 10 with the comedy production being held under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady Delthia Misick.

Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described.

Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.

As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:

“The way that people have responded to it is non stop laughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”

Bahamas News

The Bahamas Successfully Hosts Its Fourth World Athletics Relays

Published

6 days ago

May 12, 2024

Shanieka

NASSAU, Bahamas – Hundreds of people from around the world turned out in full force for the BTC World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 that took place at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, May 4 -5, 2024.

This is the sixth edition of the relays and the fourth time that The Bahamas has hosted the event, which actually made its debut in The Bahamas in 2014.

President, World Athletics, Sabastian Coe said after three very successful editions from 2014 to 2017, the World Athletics Relays has quickly become one of the World Athletics vibrant competitions, developing a culture of fun and innovation that gives it a unique flavour.

He thanked the Bahamas Government, the local World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 committee and the Bahamian people for agreeing to host the relays. However, his main thanks were to the “world’s best sprinters” travelling from all the continents to compete in preparation for the road to Paris, France, in two months’ time.

During the opening ceremony, the athletes were given words of advice from Carl Lewis, one of only four Olympic athletes to have won nine Olympic gold medals, who is widely recognized as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

He said, “Keep it simple, do not try to do anything extra. Do what your coaches said. Leave on time, leave on time, leave on time.”

The athletes and crowds were treated to the sounds and sights of Junkanoo at the end of the opening ceremony. The Junkanoo performers stuck around for the two days of competitions, playing for the sprinters as they competed on the track.

Teams competed in the Women’s and men’s 4x100m, and the women’s men’s and mixed 4x400m. A total of 14 teams at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 automatically qualified for places at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Both days of competition were important, as day two offered another chance for qualifications for those teams unsuccessful on day one.

In fact, The Bahamas was able to take advantage of the second day of competition.

Bahamians were made proud as the country set a new national record during the mixed 4x400m relays thanks to the efforts of 16-year-old Shania Adderley, a student of Tabernacle Baptist Academy.

The team came first in their heat on Sunday evening after not being able to gain a spot for the Paris Olympics on the first day of competition.

Other sprinters on the team included Alonzo Russell, as well as Olympic champions Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

(BIS Photos/Kemuel Stubbs)

Bahamas News

PM at World Relays 2024 Opening: ‘Tonight, the eyes are on The Bahamas’

Published

6 days ago

May 12, 2024

Shanieka

NASSAU, The Bahamas – During his remarks at the Opening Ceremony for the World Athletics Relays 2024, on May 4, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis welcomed the special guests, athletes, officials, and “all lovers of athletics from around the world” to the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium here in the “vibrant heart” of Nassau, Bahamas.

“This weekend, the world’s finest athletes gather on our shores to embark on a journey that is not only about speed and strength but also about dreams and determination,” Prime Minister Davis said. “From the serene beauty of our islands to the historic grandeur of Paris, this event marks a crucial path to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.”

He added: “Here in The Bahamas, we are no strangers to world-class athletics or the warmth and exuberance that such international gatherings bring. It is a distinct honor to once again welcome the World Athletics Relays back to our islands. This event holds a special place in our hearts, symbolizing a bridge between nations brought together by the universal language of sport.”

Prime Minister Davis noted that that year’s theme, “Paradise to Paris,” captured the essence of that journey.

“It is here, amidst the splendor of our sun-kissed beaches and the rhythmic sway of our palms that the chase towards Olympic glory begins anew,” he stated. “We are thrilled to offer a backdrop of unparalleled beauty, where every sprint, every baton pass, and every victory lap is set against the picture-perfect canvas of our islands.”

He added: “To our athletes, I say this: as you stand on the precipice of your dreams, ready to catapult yourself into the annals of history, know that you are part of a legacy of excellence and determination. This weekend, you are not only competitors but also ambassadors of your countries and the spirit of sport. We are especially proud of Team Bahamas, who carry the weight of their performance and the hopes and pride of our nation. You embody the spirit of The Bahamian people, and we are behind you every step of the way.”

Prime Minister said that to the international visitors, he extended “the warmest Bahamian welcome”.

“Over the next few days, as you revel in the thrill of competition, take a moment to bask in the beauty of our island,” he stated. “Discover why we proudly say, “It’s Better in The Bahamas.” Whether it’s the hospitality of our people, the tranquility of our waters, or the rhythm of our culture, you are in for an experience that captures the heart and rejuvenates the soul.”

“Let us celebrate the unity and friendship that sports foster, cheering every athlete and savoring the spectacle of human potential at its best,” Prime Minister Davis added. “I hope the races are swift, the results are inspiring, and the memories are lasting.

“Welcome to The Bahamas, the paradise where champions chase their dreams to Paris. As your host, it is my immense pleasure to declare the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 2024 officially open. Let the games begin.”