Bahamas News
Bahamas Seniors treated to ‘a walk down memory lane’
#NASSAU, The Bahamas – February 18, 2020 — More than 250 seniors from the ten urban renewal centres in New Providence participated in the annual Urban Renewal Commission’s Valentine’s Day Extravaganza.
Held, February 14 at the Mall-at-Marathon, the extravaganza has mushroomed from home visits to seniors in the various urban communities into a day of fun-filled activity that includes a movie with the accompanying treats, old school music and dancing courtesy of the Urban Renewal Pop Band.
Officials say the movie, the carefully selected music and the dancing provides the “older more experienced persons with a walk down memory lane.”
Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, told the gathering that it was no accident/coincidence that the Urban Renewal Commission “chose Valentine’s Day as one the many days it uses to show appreciation to the nation’s older, more experienced citizens.”
The Commission and the Senior Citizens Division, Department of Social Services and Urban Development, also host year-round activities and programmes for the country’s “older, more experienced persons.”
“Valentine’s Day is set aside as a day of love. The Urban Renewal Commission wants you to know that we love you, that we honour you, that we value you and cherish you for all of the many contributions and sacrifices you would have made to our people, our communities and our nation throughout the years that have resulted in us younger persons enjoying some of the benefits that we now do,” Minister Campbell said.
“We love and appreciate you for all that you have done; we love and appreciate you for all that you continue to do because your job is not yet done as you still have some experiences that you can share with the younger generation with regards to those lessons that made us a proud, resilient, dedicated and steadfast people.”
Mrs. Sherry Knowles, Programmes Manager, Urban Renewal Commission, said the observance of the day has mushroomed beyond expectations.
“The Day was initially observed with visits to the urban residences in which our seniors lived as a means of uplifting and inspiring them on a day when many of them were without their significant others, who would have passed away. Additionally, many of their children would be at work during the day and so out of that we began with the community visits to show them our love and appreciation.
“Over time, we felt the need to do something more, something greater, and so we made a commitment to develop and launch an annual initiative that would take them out of their various communities into something much larger that would include treating them to a movie, providing them with love bags, while further providing them with the opportunity to socialize with their peers,” Mrs. Knowles added.
The team also brought in the Urban Renewal Pop Band to provide live music.
“Many of our seniors often reflect on the days when they enjoyed going to dances and the movie theatre and so we wanted to replicate that to bring back some of the nostalgia for them by having the Urban Renewal Pop Band perform live, and by treating them to a movie,” Mrs. Knowles said.
“They were dancing and laughing and just having a good time because for many of them, it took them back to what they often refer to as the ‘good ole days’ and that’s what it’s all about for us here at Urban Renewal, uplifting our communities and our residents.”
Mrs. Knowles said it is also part of the Ministry’s mandate to promote social development. Providing for the country’s older, more experienced persons, she said, is a big part of community and social development.
“When we take good care of our seniors; when we keep them active and healthy; when we provide them with opportunities to flourish; when we remind them of the love, respect and appreciation we have for them and all of the contributions and sacrifices they have made that have resulted in a better way of life for their families, individual communities and our Bahamian society as a whole, then they can continue to take care of the next generation in a more meaningful way.
“These are the persons whom we still rely on to help nurture grand children and great grandchildren and the children of our various communities. It is our belief that as long as we cater to them, keep them healthy, keep them active, and keep them involved, it will create an excitement in them that will have untold benefits insofar as community building and development is concerned,” Mrs. Knowles added.
By Shanieka Smith
Staff Writer
#TheBahamas, February 2, 2023 – A new initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs in the Bahamas will see the creation of a National Food Policy geared towards ensuring food security on the island.
“This agricultural policy would encompass a holistic approach and incorporate regulations, legislation, and other
aspects to assist the farmers who have not really gotten the attention they deserve for a long time,” said the Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs, Hon. Clay Sweeting.
Other initiatives within the agriculture sector will also be implemented, such as the digitalization of applications and forms, which will make farming more efficient.
Clay said, “we have already digitalized for the most part the Department of Marine Resources and soon we will unveil new services such as dog licences, import permits, and other services needed for a successful agricultural sector.”
The construction of the Cultivation Centres (TCC) in Eleuthera and New Providence with produce exchange, food processing kitchens and farm stores will continue.
Sweeting said he hopes these initiatives will help to decrease the country’s yearly $1 billion food import bill.
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
February 2, 2023 – Grocery stores and dozens of other businesses will be under the microscope soon as the government begins aggressively enforcing the Consumer Protection Ordinance passed back in 2016 with an all-new Compliance and Regulatory Enforcement (C.A.R.E) Drive.
Carried out by the Department of Trade, Industry, and Fair Competition the drive aims to “actively educate providers whilst enforcing the main provisions to protect consumers under the Consumer Protection Ordinance,” a press release explained.
Firstly, Consumer Officers charged with protecting the people of the TCI from unfair business practices will be assessing the prices of selected breadbasket items in 23 different stores countrywide each month to see whether price gouging is being carried out by businesses.
Breadbasket items are currently duty-free under the Food and Fuel Tax Break until the end of the financial year in March and all savings from those tax exemptions should be passed on directly to the consumer. After each assessment, which will continue for several months at least a monthly price report will be published on the Department of Trade’s website.
In addition, the Consumer Officers will be monitoring other business activities across the country “to ensure that providers are compliant with their duties to consumers.”
Those responsibilities include:
- Giving customers certain basic information about goods and services being sold;
- Informing consumers about terms and conditions before any payment is made (e.g., warranties, refunds, returns, exchanges, etc.) and;
- Abstaining from misleading and deceptive conduct, false representation and unfair business practices.
The government says they will reach at least 85 businesses with the C.A.R.E. Drive but they did not indicate the process behind how these businesses had been singled out. Non-compliant ones will be fined after a thorough investigation and warnings are issued by the Department of Trade.
With this in mind, business owners are being encouraged to familiarize themselves with their duties under the Ordinance lest they be caught in breach. The government did not say what entities would be assessed and whether that included major retail grocery stores, gasoline dealers, water companies, electricity providers, telecommunications companies and other essential providers of the services that all islanders spend on.
#TheBahamas, February 2, 2023 – In Magistrate’s Court #1 today, seventy-two (72) foreign nationals were arraigned before Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr. for various immigration offenses.
Thirty-two (32) Cuban nationals were convicted of Illegal Landing. Two (2) of them were subsequently sentenced to four months in the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOCS). Thirty (30) were conditionally discharged and released to the Department of Immigration to be deported.
A total of forty (40) Haitian nationals were convicted of Illegal Landing. Two (2) received custodial sentences of three months at BDOCS, and thirty-seven (37) were conditionally discharged and released to the Department to be deported. In addition to the charge of Illegal Landing, one (1) Haitian man was also convicted of Knowingly Attempting to Misleading an Immigration Officer and subsequently sentenced to six months at BDOCS on each count. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Three (3) Haitian nationals were also charged with Overstaying. Two (2) pleaded guilty and were convicted. Respectively they were fined $2,000.00 or, in default of payment, served six months at BDOCS, conditionally discharged, and deported. One (1) Haitian female pleaded not guilty, and the matter was adjourned to a later date. Upon payment of fines, completion of sentences, and discharge, all persons were ordered to be turned over to the Department of Immigration for deportation.
The Department remains committed to executing our mandate to ensure compliance with the Statue Laws of our country.
For more information, call the Public Relations Unit at 1-242-322-7530, visit our website at www.immigration.gov.bs, or call our Investigation hotline anonymously, at 1-242-604-0249.
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