Bahamas News
Orange Alert! NIB activates business continuity plan to protect most vulnerable from COVID-19
#Nassau, The Bahamas – March 19 – 2020 —- The National Insurance Board (NIB) has activated its Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to address potential business disruptions, which may come as a result of COVID-19. NIB has been in contact with the National Coordinating Committee to ensure that the necessary actions are consistent with the national response.
NIB’s BCP is at the Orange Alert stage which concentrates on streamlining processes to protect the most vulnerable customers, such as the elderly, and to limit risks to staff. These changes will ensure that critical services continue to be provided, while ensuring the safety and health of our staff and customers. These measures are in addition to actions already taken to promote staff awareness and education of COVID-19 and upgrades to hygiene and cleaning regimes.
Suspension of Face-to-Face Verification Face-to-face pension verifications will be suspended until further notice. NIB will not prioritize suspension of benefits due to non-verification. For convenience, the verification form (B.75b) is available on NIB’s website, nib-bahamas.com. Beneficiaries who are able to may submit their completed forms electronically at verification@nib-bahamas.com email or, if possible, make use of drop boxes available at NIB offices.
NIB will also be using other modalities to confirm continuing eligibility as required by Regulation 13(2) of the National Insurance (Benefit and Assistance) Regulations. Additionally, the verification hotline, 502-1556, is available to answer questions.
Assignment of Bank Accounts for Benefit Payments While the majority of payments to NIB’s beneficiaries are made via direct deposit to bank and credit union accounts, some claimants have elected to receive their benefits via cheques. The National Insurance Board, as per its Business Continuity Plan, now strongly urges that all persons who receive benefit or assistance payments via cheques complete the Direct Deposit form, found on NIB’s website, to designate a bank or credit union account to facilitate continued payments in the event of a business disruption due to COVID-19. Please ensure that you are providing the full and correct account details (branch and account number) rather than the debit card number.
The completed Direct Deposit Form, together with account details, should be emailed to directdepositform@nib-bahamas.com as the preferred method; however, forms may also be received at Local Offices, where a drop box will be provided. An acknowledgement of your request, will be sent within 72 hours.
Registration for Employer Self Service (ESS) Portal NIB’s cashier services remain open for customers to pay NIB contributions at this time; however, in preparation for a business disruption, employers are urged to sign up for the Employer Self Service portal by emailing your request to ess@nib-bahamas.com and compliance@nibbahamas.com.
An ESS representative will guide you through the employer set-up process. You will be able to submit your contribution statements (C10 forms) and pay online via credit card via the portal. Cheque payments can also be submitted through the NIB cheque drop box or RBC online. Other payment arrangements are being finalized including instructions for wire payments.
Suspension of Face-to-Face Interview for New Claims Submissions NIB Customer Service Departments throughout The Bahamas remain open at this time. However, in our efforts to promote social distancing, claim forms will be collected, but the face-to-face interview that usually accompanies the submission of claims will be suspended until further notice. Customer Service representatives will telephone customers should additional clarifications be necessary. Claims will be acknowledged within 72 hours. Completed claim forms and supporting documents may also be emailed to customerservice@nib-bahamas.com (preferred method).
Temporary Suspension of NIB Smart Card Renewals NIB will temporarily suspend the expiration date for all NIB Smart Cards until further notice and the need for card renewals. NIB has contacted the financial institutions, utilities companies and government agencies which rely heavily on NIB’s Smart Card for identification purposes to advise that with immediate effect, all NIB issued Smart Cards should continue to be considered as valid, irrespective of the expiration date (and without the renewal security decal). These agencies have been provided with a hotline number and email to confirm the validity of any Smart Card presented. NIB advises that the National Insurance number of a person is unique and never changes. NIB further reminds that its Smart Card does not imply legal immigration status in The Bahamas. Proof of immigration status can only be verified by an appropriate immigration card/document.
NIB will continue to issue new Smart Cards for those with lost or stolen cards and first time cardholders for as long as it is practical and medically safe. Any further changes will be advised.
NIB will issue additional operational changes during the Orange Alert stage and encourages customers to visit www.nib-bahamas.com and Facebook for updates.
NIB Alert System – NIB COVID-19 Alert Stages:
ALERT NATIONAL THREAT LEVEL NIB’s RESPONSE
YELLOW COVID-19 threat to The Bahamas is imminent. NIB institutes internal BCP protocols.
ORANGE COVID-19 is confirmed in The Bahamas. NIB’s operations streamlined to protect those most vulnerable to COVID-19 outbreak and to limit risk to staff. Offices are open with amended operations procedures. Details will be available via website, Facebook and public notification systems.
RED COVID-19 warnings issued for businesses requiring them to alter normal operating procedures. Potential office closure with NIB’s core services offered through alternative channels. Details will be available via website, Facebook and public notification systems.
GREEN Outbreak in The Bahamas is deemed to be under control. Offices re-open and business resumes normal operations.
Contact: Tonique Williams | Public Relations Manager | tonique.williams@nib-bahamas.com | 242. 397. 3599
Bahamas News
Dredging Is Not Just About Size — It Is About What Is Being Destroyed, Warns Save Exuma Alliance Regarding Yntegra’s Proposed Rosewood Resort
Save Exuma Alliance (SEA) — a coalition of Central Exuma business owners, tour operators and residents — has warned that the issue of dredging in the North Bay of Sampson Cay, Exuma, is not just about the number of acres being dredged – but what exists within the proposed dredge area. SEA describes the site as an ecological treasure trove filled with seagrass, coral, turtles and abundant marine life.
This comes after foreign developer Yntegra agreed to reduce the scope of its dredging following government warnings that it would impact
The Bahamas carbon credit status, which shows the importance of the marine habitat.
“It is easy to point to other developments and say they are dredging more, but that is not comparing like with like,” SEA said in response to comparisons made by Yntegra. “If one area is largely sand with little marine life, that is very different from what we have in North Bay. Anyone who has spent time there can tell you it is filled with turtles, fish, and — critically — the seagrass and coral that provide essential habitat.”
Miami-based investment group Yntegra is seeking to construct a large-scale Rosewood-branded resort on Sampson Cay. Since its announcement, the project has generated environmental, social and economic concerns among residents and business operators in Central Exuma.
The proposed development includes dredging in North Bay, construction of a substantial seawall that would alter natural water flow, more than 100 structures, two mega yacht marinas, and an industrial dock serviced by fuel and supply ships in an area currently used by swimmers. Opponents argue that the scale and design of Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project are incompatible with the fragile ecosystem and cultural character of the Central Exumas.
SEA noted that the government’s Climate Change Unit has also raised concerns about the environmental cost of dredging associated with Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project.
“The government has acknowledged that this is an area of significant importance,” SEA said. “While the financial implications are serious, for us here in Exuma this is about more than money. It underscores how valuable this marine ecosystem is — the seagrass, coral and marine life that make Exuma exceptional. This is what attracts visitors from around the world. We should not minimize the concern by comparing this bay to areas that do not have the same remarkable underwater ecosystem. It is simply not the same.”
Experienced boat captain Tito Baldwin also questioned the feasibility of the marine infrastructure proposed as part of this plan. He warned
that the dredging currently outlined would not be sufficient to accommodate the vessels required to service the project.
“It’s going to have to be at least four times larger than what has been proposed,” Baldwin said. “As designed, it is beyond possibility.”
He explained that vessels supplying fuel, construction materials and provisions for a projected 300-person workforce would require significantly greater depth and maneuvering space.
“For supply vessels delivering hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel, you’re looking at ships with a 10-foot draft,” Baldwin said. “To operate safely, you would need at least 13 feet of depth. That means dredging far deeper than what has been proposed. With currents running east and west in that area, you would also need a much wider turning basin to maneuver safely. As it stands, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.”
SEA is urging individuals concerned about the environmental impact of dredging connected to Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project to visit www.saveexumaalliance.org for more information. A petition calling for a halt to approvals is also available on the site, with more than 7,100 signatures collected to date.
PM: Project delivers on promise and invests in youth, sports and national development
GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas — Calling it the fulfillment of a major commitment to the island, Prime Minister Philip Davis led the official groundbreaking for the Grand Bahama Aquatic Centre, a facility the government says will transform sports development and create new opportunities for young athletes.
Speaking at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex on February 12, the Prime Minister said the project represents more than bricks and mortar
— it is an investment in people, national pride and long-term economic activity. The planned complex will feature a modern 50-metre competition pool, designed to meet international standards for training and regional and global swim meets. Davis said the facility will give Bahamian swimmers a home capable of producing world-class performance while also providing a space for community recreation, learn-to-swim programmes and water safety training.
He noted that Grand Bahama has long produced outstanding athletes despite limited infrastructure and said the new centre is intended to correct that imbalance, positioning the island as a hub for aquatic sports and sports tourism.
The Prime Minister also linked the development to the broader national recovery and revitalisation of Grand Bahama, describing the project as part of a strategy to expand opportunities for young people, create jobs during construction and stimulate activity for small businesses once operational.
The Aquatic Centre, he said, stands as proof that promises made to Grand Bahama are being delivered.
The project is expected to support athlete development, attract competitions, and provide a safe, modern environment for residents to access swimming and water-based programmes for generations to come.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
The Bahamas, February 15, 2026 – For the better part of three years, Bahamians have been told that major Afreximbank financing would help transform access to capital, rebuild infrastructure and unlock economic growth across the islands. The headline figures are large. The signing ceremonies are high profile. The language is ambitious. What remains far harder to see is the measurable impact in the daily lives of the people those announcements are meant to serve.
The Government’s push to secure up to $100 million from Afreximbank for roughly 200 miles of Family Island roads dates back to 2025. In
its February 11 disclosure, the bank outlined a receivables-discounting facility — a structure that allows a contractor to be paid early once work is completed, certified and invoiced, with the Government settling the bill later. It is not cash placed into the economy upfront. It does not, by itself, build a single mile of road. Every dollar depends on work first being delivered and approved.
The wider framework has been described as support for “climate-resilient and trade-enhancing infrastructure,” a phrase that, in practical terms, should mean projects that lower the cost of doing business, move people and goods faster, and keep the economy functioning. But for communities, that promise becomes real only when the projects are named, the standards are defined and a clear timeline is given for when work will begin — and when it will be finished.
Bahamians have seen this moment before.
In 2023, a $30 million Afreximbank facility for the Bahamas Development Bank was hailed as a breakthrough that would expand access to financing for local enterprise. It worked in one immediate and measurable way: it encouraged businesses to apply. Established, revenue-generating Bahamian companies responded to the call, prepared plans, and entered a process they believed had been capitalised to support growth. The unanswered question is how much of that capital has reached the private sector in a form that allowed those businesses to expand, hire and generate new economic activity.
Because development is not measured in the size of announcements.
It is measured in loans disbursed, projects completed and businesses expanded.
The pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. In June 2024, when Afreximbank held its inaugural Caribbean Annual Meetings in Nassau,
Grand Bahama was presented as the future home of an Afro-Caribbean marketplace said to carry tens of millions of dollars in investment. What was confirmed at that stage was a $1.86 million project-preparation facility — funding for studies and planning to make the development bankable, not construction financing. The larger build-out remains dependent on additional approvals, land acquisition and further capital.
This distinction — between financing announced and financing that produces visible, measurable outcomes — is now at the centre of the national conversation.
Because while the numbers grow larger on paper, entrepreneurs still describe access to capital as out of reach, and communities across the Family Islands are still waiting to see where the work will start.
And in an economy where stalled growth translates into lost opportunity, rising frustration and real social consequences, the gap between promise and delivery is no longer a communications issue.
It is an inability to convert announcements into outcomes.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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