Bahamas News
BAHAMAS: Campbell announces impending launch of PROMIS portal
#TheBahamas, May 24, 2021 – The Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development and its Department of Social Services, moved one step closer to streamlining and digitizing its work “for the greater convenience and efficiency of both its internal and external clients” (Monday, May 17) with the announcement of the impending launch of its Social Protection Management Information System (ProMIS) portal.
The launch is scheduled for June 1, 2021, in New Providence and will be “fully launched throughout Grand Bahama and the Family Islands within two months thereafter.” Minister of Social Services and Urban Development the Hon. Frankie Campbell made the announcement during a Press Conference held in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Public Works, Aventura Plaza, University Drive and Bethel Avenue. Minister Campbell was accompanied by Minister of State for Finance and for Grand Bahama, Senator the Hon. James Kwasi Thompson.
The Social Services Minister said the introduction and implementation of ProMIS will result in a standardized process for the delivery of social assistance that builds upon the existing operations of social assistance programmes at the national level.
Methods of payments have also expanded out of the desire to reduce the expenses often borne by beneficiaries seeking access to social assistance (such as transportation, bank commission charges and time, etcetera), while ensuring reliability, regularity and efficiency.
“Our Social Protection Management Information System (ProMIS) is an e-Government system that electronically facilitates all steps related to the management of social assistance, including the application, identification of eligibility, disbursement of funds, and auditing. ProMIS integrates data from public and private sector institutions and provides 13 web-based services in one easily accessible online portal,” Minister Campbell said.
“Through the development of ProMIS, the previously paper-based social assistance processes were all able to be standardized, integrated and converted into an electronic system. ProMIS has the potential to tremendously transform the social service system,” Minister Campbell added.
Applicants must meet certain criteria when applying for some types of assistance. As The Bahamas does not currently have a means of measuring income, ProMIS utilizes Proxy-Means Testing which was developed to generate a score for applicants based on fairly easy to observe characteristics of a household, such as the location and quality of the dwelling, ownership of durable goods, demographic structure of the household, and the education of adults. Scores are composite indices that reflect welfare levels.
Three methods are used for Food Assistance payments under ProMIS, among them, the social assistance card, a Bank of the Bahamas Pre-Paid Card, which was launched in 2014 with the cooperation of the Bank of The Bahamas (BOB) for applicants receiving ongoing benefits. Approximately 7,000 persons are currently receiving their assistance through that means. The cards are Pre-paid, debit cards that allow beneficiaries to pay for their groceries from local grocery stores and wholesalers. They cannot be used online, at ATMs or at stores that are not designated as grocery stores.
The second means is the option of the paper coupon, generated by ProMIS with a unique QR Code. The paper coupons are redeemable at specified grocery stores. This option is particularly used by the elderly and persons with disabilities as it allows them to receive their assistance payments in a more, timely, manner and without any expense being incurred by persons in this group.
“And let me pause to point out that all during this pandemic, we have ensured that our elderly, and our persons with disabilities had their assistance vouchers delivered to their homes,” Minister Campbell said.
The third method of payment is by digital Food Voucher via Kanoo or Mobile Assist. Via this method, beneficiaries can access the social assistance payments credited to their accounts anytime they wish from their mobile phones.
“For rental assistance, fully digital payments are made directly into the recipients, that is, landlord’s accounts, at financial services providers such as OMNI or Cash N’ Go. For Burial, Financial and Utility assistance, money is paid directly to the vendor, while Uniform Assistance is paid via digital wallet,” Minister Campbell said.
“It should be noted that the payment methods detailed above, are intended to help reduce the expenses often [borne] by beneficiaries in seeking access to social assistance – such as transportation, bank commission charges and time, etcetera – while ensuring reliability, regularity and efficiency.”
By Matt Maura
Release: BIS
Photo Captions:
Header: Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell addressing Monday’s Press Conference announcing the impending launch of the Social Assistance Portal, ProMIS.
1st insert: Sign Language Interpreter Mrs. Annette Lunn (left) joined Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell at Monday’s Press Conference announcing the launch date of ProMIS (the event was Live Streamed), to ensure that persons from the community who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing had access to all of the information surrounding the announcement of the impending launch of ProMIS scheduled for June 1, 2021.
2nd insert: Minister of State for Finance and for Grand Bahama, Senator, the Hon. James Kwasi Thompson (left) joined MInister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell at Monday’s Press Conference announcing the impending launch of the ProMIS Portal. Minister Campbell applauded Senator Thompson for making his team available so as to give the team at the Ministry and the Department of Social Services the requisite guidance that was necessary, and for having ensured that the financial resources that were necessary to get the Ministry and the Department of Social Services to this point, were in place.
(BIS Photos/Patrick Hanna)
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.
