January 13th, 2025 – Nassau, Bahamas – The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) is excited to announce the appointment of new officers and members of the BNT Council 2024 -2025, elected at the organization’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in October and later confirmed during a special meeting after the AGM.

Mrs. Joanne Smith has been elected as President of the Council. As President and Creative Director of Media Enterprises, she brings a wealth of experience to the role. A former President of the Rotary Club of East Nassau and a Lifetime Member of the BNT, Smith is a passionate advocate for environmental preservation. Her long-standing involvement in producing educational materials for the BNT and her expertise in public relations will be invaluable as the nonprofit strives to promote the national park system and expand its membership base.

Returning to the Council as Deputy President is Ms. Janet Johnson, a former BNT President. With more than 40 years of leadership experience in the tourism industry, both internationally and nationally, Johnson’s marketing expertise will be critical as the BNT implements its 2024-2029 Strategic Plan, targeting expanded infrastructure and visitation for 12 national parks.

Mr. Phillip Cumming has been appointed Honorary Treasurer. A chartered accountant and past President of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, Cumming is also an avid birder and nature photographer.

Elected members of the BNT Council include: Geoff Andrews (immediate past President); Marvin Arrington; Glenn Bannister; Kevin Cartwright; Hank Ferguson; Janet Johnson; Marcus Laing; Neil McKinney; Devin Peet; Naisha Roberts; Karin Sanchez; Gary Sands; Tanya Woodside; and Eddie Carter.

Appointed members are: Dr. Maria Woodside-Oriakhi, University of The Bahamas; Dr. Ana Luz Porzecanski, American Museum of Natural History; Dr. Karen Bjorndal, University of Florida; Christopher Hughes, US Parks Service; Meredith Ross, Leon Levy Foundation; Dr. Pamela Reid, University of Miami RSMAS; Dr. Barney Long, re:wild; and Aurelio Ramos, National Audubon Society.

Representing The Bahamas Government are: Christina Davis-Justin and Holly Peel, Governor General’s Representatives; Ashley Sturrup, Ministry of Education; Dr. Kenneth Romer, Ministry of Tourism; Dr. Rhianna Neeley-Murphy, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources; and Gregory Bethel, Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a talented and diverse group of leaders to our Executive Board,” said Lakeshia Anderson-Rolle, BNT’s Executive Director. “Their combined experience and dedication to The Bahamas’ national park system will be essential as we work to accomplish the goals outlined in our new five-year strategic plan.”

“It is indeed an honor to serve as the President of the BNT,” said Joanne Smith. “They have grown The Bahamas’ national park system to 33 national parks that protect marine resources, endangered species, and the habitats necessary for the survival of our island flora and fauna. I am looking forward to working with the BNT team and the Council to ensure we meet our strategic goals.

“One of my goals is to increase the membership of the organization and support sustainable finance mechanisms for the parks. I am especially grateful to past President Geoff Andrews, who has agreed to lead the Advancement Committee in successfully achieving our financial goals over the next five years. We hold our first full Council meeting at the end of January and look forward to working with the Council on initiatives that guide the BNT into its next chapter.”

To learn more about the BNT’s role in managing national parks, protecting wildlife, and informing environmental policy, please visit its website: www.bnt.bs, and follow its various social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

The Bahamas, January 10, 2025 – Imported and store bought food will, by April 1, be less expensive in The Bahamas due to a hefty cut in Value Added Tax (VAT) announced by Philip Davis, Bahamas Prime Minister in a New Year’s national address on January 8.

“I am pleased to announce a 50% reduction in the VAT rate on all food sold in food stores.  Beginning April 1st, the rate will be cut in half from 10% to 5%.  This new 5% rate will apply to all food in the food stores, including fresh fruits and vegetables, baby food, lunch snacks and frozen foods.  However, it will not apply to prepared foods in the deli.

This rate reduction will also apply to the importation of all items previously mentioned.   The effective date is April 1st in order to give merchants and foodstores time to make the necessary adjustments.”

For many families, the cost of food has been nothing short of shocking and the issue became a game-changing factor in deciding the recent US elections.

Bahamians have hinted at the same concerns at home.

In November 2023, former Prime Minister, Hubert Minnis and Anglican Archbishop Laish Boyd were among those calling for a decrease in VAT on bread basket items.

“The cuts in certain food duties in the budget for this fiscal year are not enough.  We in the Opposition have also called numerous times for the government to remove its 10 percent VAT on bread basket items and medicines that it imposed unnecessarily,” said Minnis.

Davis says that and more is on the way.

“VAT is not the cause of the high price of food, but for those with the tightest disposable income, reducing VAT by 50% will make a difference.

This reduction will not impact our fiscal targets for this year.”

Last year, the US government estimated that U.S. food prices would increase 2.3 percent and by year end, the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO explained that just about all food prices hit staggering levels, though some decreases were forecast.

Rice, Vegetable Oil, Meat and Dairy all increased in 2024, said the FAO, which also informed in a December 2024 report that its FFPI (FAO Food Price Index) spiked at the end of the year to 6.7% above 2023.

Additionally, the reports explained: “FAO All Rice Price Index: Rose 0.8% from the 2023 average, which is a 16-year high. FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index: Averaged 9.4% higher than 2023 due to tightening global supplies. FAO Meat Price Index: Was 2.7% above the 2023 average, with higher prices for bovine, ovine, and poultry meats. FAO Dairy Price Index: Averaged 4.7% higher than 2023, due mainly to surging butter prices.”

Bahamians felt it too and many rejected information from The Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI) which conveyed the consumer price index (CPI) was down in the first quarter of last year, that The Bahamas saw an increase during summer months after which it held relatively steady, due to the slight bump, in September.

“This September 2024 remained constant with August, and followed a 0.1% increase between the months of July 2024 and August 2024.  On a month to month basis, the major increases, by Group, included Furnishing and Household Equipment and routine household maintenance 3.7%, Restaurant & Hotels 0.6% along with Miscellaneous Goods and Services 0.5%. Meanwhile, the major decreases by group consisted of Food and Non-alcoholic 1.6 %, Health 0.9%, along with Education 0.4%,” informed a report from BNSI published in September 2024.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the high cost of living, which goes well beyond how expensive groceries have become.  A housing crisis compounded by surging electricity bills become significant factors in the quality of life Bahamians were able to afford in 2024.

“The high cost of energy runs right throughout the economy.  Important parts of our outdated electricity grid date back to before Independence.  Some of them are so old that no one makes the parts to fix them anymore.  But we can’t build a successful economy – and Bahamians can’t build their own success stories — if we continue to be burdened by an old, outdated, system, dependent on heavy and diesel fuels.

An unreliable system, and above all, an expensive system. You simply can’t build a 21st Century economy with 20th century infrastructure. So, we’re reforming, upgrading, modernizing.  Solar panels are going to go up, and prices are going to come down. We are partnering with Bahamian companies across our Family Islands, to meet the unique needs of each. We are going to have New Providence’s first utility-scale solar field.

We’re integrating LNG.” he said.

A special initiative was launched by Bahamas Power and Light, BPL over the holiday season.  An attempt to get consumers to pay their overdue bills and see their electricity restored, when they made that effort.

Residents though are still forced to make tough choices as apartment units and real estate buys are priced too high and rent is chomping away at a large portion of salaries.

“The huge increase in costs of housing has also helped to drive up the cost of living.  We’re building affordable housing, and we are piloting a Rent-to-Own programme.  But while these are important, they aren’t reaching enough Bahamians yet.  So even as we work to expand those efforts, we’re exploring ways to incentivize the private sector to build more. Increasing the supply of housing is the best way to see reductions in the cost of housing. We have also expanded concessions to first-time homeowners, because it’s so hard to make that big leap,” said Prime Minister Davis.

Reaction to the reduction in VAT from 10% to 5% in The Bahamas is healthy and that break will be important this year.  It is forecast by the USDA’s Economic Research Service that despite a Donald Trump presidency, food prices in the United States are still expected to jump by nearly 2% in 2025.

Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

The Bahamas, January 10, 2025 – On Sunday January 5, the Royal Bahamas Police Force kept with tradition and gathered for its year opening church service; this time at Life Changers Ministries International and this time with a new Commissioner of Police, Shanta Knowles, who was just days before, officially sworn in as the first woman to head the Force.

“Jesus teaches us that law enforcement officers must confront crime, must confront corruption and injustice with courage.  You see, Jesus was a lamb but he also was a lion.  Like Jesus, who was a law enforcement officer for Heaven, you must know when to be a lamb and know when to be a lion,” preached Valentino Williams, Bishop and Pastor of Life Changers Ministries.

Adding that this is no time for “the lamb in this nation.  This is time for the lions to get up and start roaring” in a valiant push back against the escalation in violence.

In a service of refreshing and renewal, the Royal Bahamas Police and Government dignitaries gathered for prayers of blessing and a symbolic gesture of surrender and dependence upon God as they embark upon a brand new year.  It is a posture which is valued in The Bahamas as a Christian nation.

“Jesus overturned the tables, because God’s reputation was at stake.  You and I, we should recognize that we should emulate Jesus’ example and confront crime and corruption and injustice with courage because our nation is at stake.”

The church service followed another key event for the Police Force which was held on Friday January 3, when outgoing police commissioner Clayton Fernander handed the reins of leadership over to Eleuthera native, Shanta Knowles.

“I’m equally honoured and especially proud to handover my duties, responsibilities and authority of the commissionership, on this historic occasion to my successor, the first female commissioner of police Ms. Shanta Emily Knowles,” said Fernander to robust applause and cheering from the crowd attending the ceremony.

“I am exceedingly confident that I am leaving the Force and its entire legacy in capable hands.  As I welcome Commissioner Knowles to a new mantle of leadership, I would like to encourage all ranks, civilian staff and especially the general public to extend to her the same courtesy, respect, and support that you gave to me as she navigates the Force into higher heights of policing.”

Sixty years after women first joined the ranks as members of the Royal Bahamas Police, Knowles was promoted from top cop, stationed in Grand Bahama.  Mr. Fernander pointed to the new commissioner’s other ceiling shattering accomplishments.

“Ms Knowles has many firsts in her career.  She was the first female commander of the Criminal Investigation Department, first female assistant Commissioner of the Northern Bahamas and now the first female commissioner of police. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organization.”

Shanta Knowles joined the police in October 1990, a stellar 35-year career in law enforcement.  Her latest appointment followed a brutal year reputationally for the organization.

“I thank you honorable Prime Minister and the Government of The Bahamas for the trust you have reposed in me to navigate this organization into a new era of policing.  I pledge to restore the image of the Force through positive change, while enforcing the rule of law, a Force that is respected here and around the world, that engenders public trust,” said Knowles in her acceptance speech.

One-hundred and nineteen murders were too much for The Bahamian public in 2024, the high level of crime coupled with terminations, resignations and arrests among police officers means she has to rebuild the brand and the trust.

PM Philip Davis announced Knowles’ appointment in December, he reflected on the service of outgoing Commissioner Clayton Fernander and doubled down on the points that accountability is non-negotiable and the Force is more good than bad.

“I know that the actions of a few have cast a shadow over the entire Force but I also know that the Royal Bahamas Police is filled with good, hardworking men and women who are dedicated to protecting and serving this nation.  I know that.  So we cannot allow the misdeeds of some to over shadow the integrity of the many who risk their lives everyday for the safety of our communities.

This moment is about resetting the standard. It is about making it clear that no one is above the law.  Not even those tasked with upholding it.  It is about ensuring that every officer, from the newest recruit to the senior leader understands the weight of the uniform they wear and the responsibilities it carries.

The path forward begins now.”

At the Handing Over Ceremony which took place in the Rose Garden of the Royal Bahamas Police Force headquarters on East Street in Nassau, the Prime Minister said “the tree” will be shaken until there is no “bad fruit” left.

“Our commitment to rooting out corruption is not just about cleaning house, it is about safeguarding the honour of this institution and restoring the trust of the Bahamian people.  The People of this country deserve a police force they can respect.”

It now also stands as a beacon of opportunity for women who want to serve in law enforcement.

From the new Police Commissioner, “To the current female leaders within the Force, I say to you dig deeper, work harder and go the extra mile because the impossible is now possible.”