Bahamas News
PM: “All the talk about where Grand Bahama can go is over for me. It’s time for action”
By Andrew Coakley
#TheBahamas, February 7, 2022 – Prime Minister of the Bahamas and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Philip Davis says all of the talk about what Grand Bahama can become and where it can go are over for him.
It’s time now, he said for action.
“I know Grand Bahama, having lived here myself in the early seventies, so the time has come for Grand Bahama to really live up to its true potential,” said Prime Minister Davis. “It’s not going to happen with people just talking about it. It has to happen with someone who really wants to do something about it.”
The Prime Minister’s remarks came during a visit to Grand Bahama on Monday, January 31, 2022, at a press conference in the Office of the Prime Minister (GB). Prime Minister Davis was frank in his answers about Grand Bahama and about what it needs in order to be restored.
As far as investor confidence is concerned, Prime Minister Davis says that investor confidence in The Bahamas as a whole is on the rise, but he admitted that when it comes to Grand Bahama, it seems as if that confidence by investors in the island has waned over the years.
“We have been, in our movements, seeking to restore that confidence,” said Mr. Davis. “For Grand Bahama, when it comes to investors, there has always been a question mark. Why is that? Investors are willing to invest in The Bahamas, but when it comes to Grand Bahama, there is always some reluctance on their part.
“For example, I had a conversation in Dubai with someone who had come to Grand Bahama and looked at projects, but their desire to invest just withered because there was no connection. I’ve been talking with them and hopefully we may find that something that will cause them to reconnect and revisit their vision and desire to invest here.
“But we are working on how we can fully restore the confidence for people to invest in Grand Bahama.”
Asked about any updates on the sale of the Grand Lucayan Resort, Prime Minister Davis pointed out that there have been a number of expressions of interests, which are under consideration by the Minister of Tourism and Investments.
However, he said for him personally, the real issue isn’t just trying to sell the Grand Lucayan Resort. “There’s no sense in us putting it in the hands of someone and then the other components for a successful community are not there,” said the Prime Minister.
“For example, for us to have a successful project at the Grand Lucayan, airlift is important, So, we have to look at the
airport to see how we can get that back on stream in a way to complement and to ensure that it feeds into the Grand Lucayan Hotel. In addition to the airlift, we have to ensure that there are other attractions available for persons coming into Grand Bahama. There has to be a complete visionary plan, if we’re going to continue to promote Grand Bahama as a tourist destination, which will include us having not just the hotel, but any other projects on that level.
“We also have to decide what kind of tourists we want to attract to Grand Bahama; whether it’s a golf destination, casino driven or technology driven. There are a number of factors we’re looking at now to determine the direction in which we would like to see Grand Bahama go. We want to have partners in Grand Bahama who have a vision; a vision where they’re prepared to put their money where their mouth is to ensure it becomes a reality.”
Prime Minister Davis assured Grand Bahamians that his government’s plans for a new hospital to be constructed in Grand Bahama is still on the drawing board. He said that he, along with the Minister for Health, have been in deep discussions and negotiations with any number of entities to ensure that the government is to at least be able to break ground for the new hospital before the end of the year.
“For my part, I indicated to the Minister that I want us to start by June,” said the Prime Minister.
During his visit to Grand Bahama, the prime Minister got an opportunity to view one of the new initiatives launched by the Ministry of Grand Bahama that would help to clean up certain properties in preparation for the construction of some half-way homes.
PHOTO CAPTIONS
BIS Photos/Lisa Davis
Header: Prime Minister Davis and his delegation walked the entire community of Tripp Circle to view the full scope of cleanup work there. Accompanying the Prime Minister to Grand Bahama were Hon. Myles LaRoda, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister; David Davis, Permanent Secretary (OPM); Leon Lundy, Parliamentary Secretary (OPM); Jerome Fitzgerald, Senior Policy Advisor; Latrae Rahming, Director of Communications (OPM) and Kevin Simmons, OPM.
Insert: Prime Minister Philip Davis (center) addressing the media in the conference room of the Office of the Prime Minister (GB) on Monday, January 31, 2022. Seated left of the Prime Minister is Minister for Grand Bahama, Hon. Ginger Moxey. At the right of the Prime Minister is Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, Hon. Myles LaRoda.
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.
