Bahamas News
BAHAMAS: Small businesses to benefit from E-procurement reform
#Freeport, GB, November 30, 2018 – Bahamas – The new, E-Procurement and Supplier Registry, soon to become a national initiative, will not only help to equalize the playing field between small, medium and big businesses when it comes obtaining government contracts, but the government has pledged that a minimum of 20 percent of all its procurement must be won by small businesses.
Making the announcement was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. K. Peter Turnquest during the opening of the Ministry of Finance’s E-Procurement reform seminar, which was held at Pelican Bay resort on Thursday, November 29, 2018.
In opening the seminar, as well as officially launching the E-Procurement and Supplier Registry System, the Deputy Prime Minister noted that the whole idea of the reform is to make the process of government procurement transparent and to ensure that there is fairness across the system, so that everyone has an opportunity.
“I know that for most businesses in The Bahamas that I have come across, one of the things that they have been concerned about is fairness and access,” said Minister Turnquest.
“We know how it worked in the past, where if your party is in power you get the contracts and when your party is not in power, you’re out of luck. This system seeks to try to create some balance, some equity and fairness across the system, so that we can take out these kinds of bias.
“If we allow the system to work the way it has been designed to work, it is going to create equity and it will result in savings and GDP business growth for all Bahamians.”
Minister Turnquest said that the Government of The Bahamas is very excited about the Small Business program that has been initiated and which has blossomed in Grand Bahama. He said the program is a very integral entity that is going to help broaden the economic pie in The Bahamas.
“I think we all know that there are those entities, who because of their resources, have been able to corner the market on procurement and economic activities in this country. Through the efforts of the Small Business Development Centre, we are hoping to empower the ordinary Bahamian who doesn’t have a rich parent or some connected source, that they will be able to obtain the kind of support and resources that will allow them to enter the mainstream and compete with the ‘big boys’ and the legacy institutions.
“That is very important. Because as we move into a more modern society and as we have more and more of our young people coming into the sector with very high expectations, it is important that they have an opportunity to compete and fulfill their visions, without unfair bias. So, we are extremely happy with what the Small Business Development Centre is doing, particularly in Grand Bahama.”
The Finance Minister proudly noted that for months, the Ministry of Finance has been engaged in a comprehensive reform effort to transform the entire system of government procurement. He pointed out the tremendous strides forward his Ministry has taken in promoting the initiative, most notably in legislative reform and establishment of the online E-Procurement and Supplier Registry system (E-PSR).
“When we speak of government procurement, we are literally referring to goods and services which central government or state-owned enterprises purchase,” said Minister Turnquest.
“Government procurement accounts for a substantial portion of the Bahamian economy. Naturally, that means that it also accounts for a substantial portion of taxpayer’s money. Rightfully so, taxpayers expect us to carry out public procurement fairly, transparently, efficiently and with high standards of conduct.
“Recognizing the weaknesses in our current system that exposes the government to waste and corruption, the public procurement reform that is currently underway is aimed at modernizing the public procurement process, by developing a strong and unified legal framework.
He noted that the development of public procurement legislation is rapidly approaching completion, which has amplified the need for the enhanced awareness-building efforts in Grand Bahama. The Finance Minister said that a test bid of the E-PSR will be launched in January, 2019, using the online system, to ensure that all systems are working.
“We want to make sure that potential Grand Bahamian suppliers are equipped with the tools to fully and comfortably participate in this test bid and more broadly, public procurement in the future,” said Minister Turnquest. “The test bid will give suppliers an opportunity to ensure that they understand how the E-PSR operates before we implement the mandatory use of the E-PSR for all public procurement.
“We have completed drafting the proposed Public Procurement Act, which will be presented to Parliament very shortly.”
According to Minister Turnquest, the proposed legislation will:
- Establish a Department of Public Procurement that will enhance transparency and value for money within the procurement process by providing oversight and accountability.
- Modernize and align procurement practices with international and best practices.
- Establish a public procurement board and review tribunal.
- Establish a fully transparent bidding process, where bids and bid winners are posted on line.
- Define in law the suite of procurement methods. Including competitive bidding, selective bidding, restrictive bidding and limited bidding.
“It represents a revised national framework for all public procurement. Under this new framework, we’ve committed to reserve a portion of national procurement budgets for small businesses, which will benefit entrepreneurs in Freeport and other Family Islands,” added Minister Turnquest.
“The Public Procurement Act will oversee the E-Procurement and Supplier Registry system and all national procurement will be executed through the online procurement and Supplier Registry system in the near future.”
Minister Turnquest stressed the fact that registration will be mandatory for any business seeking to have a contract with the government. He said that the Independent Procurement Review Tribunal will provide recourse for all persons who feel that there has been an injustice in any national procurement process.
By Andrew Coakley
Release: BIS
Photo Captions:
Header: Following the official opening of the E-procurement seminar and launch of the E-procurement and Supplier Registry system, Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Peter Turnquest (centre) answered questions from the media, before the seminar for Ministry of Finance personnel began at the Pelican Bay Resort on Thursday, November 29, 2018. At right is Executive Director of the Small Business Development Centre, Davinia Blair, and, at left, Daniel Ferguson of the Ministry of Finance.
Insert: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. K. Peter Turnquest was the keynote speaker during the opening of the E-procurement reform seminar and launch of the E-Procurement and Supplier Registry system at Pelican Bay Resort on Thursday, November 29, 2018.
BIS Photos/Lisa Davis
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.
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