Bahamas News
GIBC Digital Officially Opened in Grand Bahama
#Freeport, Grand Bahama, June 28, 2018 – Bahamas – Officially opening GIBC Digital on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. K. Peter Turnquest, said that making Grand Bahama a tech hub will not only create jobs, but a good quality of life and opportunities for young people.
GIBC Digital announced their Grand Bahama investment at a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in May, when they revealed they 
would hire some 50 people. To date, 25 have been hired and an additional 25 are in the process of being hired. Their office is located in the Jasmine Corporate Centre.
Applauding the efforts of Minister of State for Grand Bahama in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator the Hon. J. Kwasi Thompson — Deputy Prime Minister Turnquest noted it was Minister Thompson’s idea to have Grand Bahama become the tech hub of the region.
With the introduction of the Commercial Enterprises Act, early successes are being seen and this is only the beginning. “It’s that kind of creative, collaborative legislation that is going to allow us to truly exploit the knowledge and creativity of our people,” said DPM Turnquest.
He added, “We recognize that Grand Bahama has always been the industrial capital of The Bahamas and we’ve had some success in tourism. But, these are becoming more and more competitive industries and the financial services sector, which we still hope to expand to Grand Bahama, is experiencing its own challenge. The one thing that we know, is that education gives us the opportunity to compete with anyone anywhere in the world and technology gives us the ability to do it.
“This is why we were so excited about this whole concept of developing a technology hub. Because this will give our students, our young people, an opportunity to use what they’ve learned and expand their minds beyond the borders of The Bahamas. And in the process, earn a very good salary.
“That’s the kind of partnership that we need. It’s not just about the job. It’s about creating a quality of life. It’s about creating opportunities for residents because as we all feel a sense of worth, and that we’re being rewarded for our efforts, it encourages us to be creative. It encourages us to work hard and to be committed.”
DPM Turnquest said it’s important to modernize and change the way we do business. Government is currently going through transformation, starting with the Ministry of Finance. “We recognize, and you would have seen in this year’s budget, that the cost of doing business as a government is expensive. It is inefficient and if we are going to remain competitive with the rest of the world, we are going to have to streamline our processes, 
become more efficient so that we reduce this burden on the average citizen.”
A single ID will be created, using GIBC Digital, that will identify an individual as a citizen to the government in everything they do. “The idea being that rather than having to request services from the government, the government will push service to you and make that process seamless and very much interactive from the comfort of your office or home. “That requires a lot of data; to ensure that the data is secure requires that we have a very robust cyber security system. Again, that’s one of the services GIBC offers its clients, and certainly we look forward to leveraging that knowledge in our own effort to ensure that whatever we do we protect the integrity of the system so that it engenders the trust and the use we anticipate.”
Turning his attention to training, the Deputy Prime Minister said that there is no point in trying to be the digital capital of the region and not have the skills necessary to do it. This is why programmes are being introduced through BTVI and University of The Bahamas so as to make education affordable and accessible for students who want to participate.
The official opening programme comprised a ribbon cutting, a tour of the facility, and Junkanoo celebration.
By: Robyn Adderley (BIS)
Photo Caption: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. K. Peter Turnquest, giving the keynote address at the official opening of GIBC Digital in Freeport, Grand Bahana, on Wednesday, June 27, 2018.
(BIS Photo)
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.
The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap
from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.
With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.
Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.
Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.
Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!
After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.
The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before
their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.
At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.
Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.
Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.
The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.
Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed
their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.
As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.
Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole,
with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’. Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.
Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.
Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the
listening booth.
Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.
For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification
attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.
Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.
The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members. Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.
Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine. To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.
On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking
in the comfort of the chic lounge. In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.
The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.
Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.
To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.
