Connect with us

Bahamas News

Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs Hosts Risk Assessment Workshop

Published

on

#TheBahamas, April 26, 2022 – Non-Profit Organizations were invited to participate in a workshop to assist the government in meeting its goal of becoming fully compliant to Recommendation 8 of the Financial Action Task Force’s Risk Assessment Criteria in relation to Non-Profit Organizations. The country’s rating as it relates to Non-Profit Organizations is currently ‘Partially Compliant’ since the last assessment in 2021.  A two-day workshop was conducted by the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs at Baha Mar April 5-6, 2022 led by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, the Hon. Ryan Pinder.

Among the participants were church leaders, controllers and presidents of charitable organizations and other stakeholders. Also in attendance was the Minister of State in the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, the Hon. Jomo Campbell.  Moderators for the event included Dr. Cassandra Nottage, National Identified Risk Co-ordinator and Tiffany Moss, Senior Counsel/Chief Compliance Officer at the Office of the Attorney General.

Minister Pinder said that the NPO Risk Assessment Training and Workshop is a very important and necessary exercise, given the important role that the sector plays in the country’s economy.

“As most of you would know, The Bahamas is a founding member of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) , the regional Financial Action Task Force (FATF) body. In 2015, The Bahamas underwent an assessment of its implementation of the FATF 40 Recommendations. Of these, Recommendation 8, which deals with non-profit organizations, was evaluated as “Partly Compliant” by examiners.  A partially compliant rating essentially means that The Bahamas has not fully implemented the requirements of Recommendation 8, and there are deficiencies within its legislative framework.”

The objective of Recommendation 8 is to ensure that NPOs are not misused by terrorist organizations:

1.To pose as legitimate entities.

2.To exploit legitimate entities as conduits for terrorist financing, including for the purpose of escaping asset freezing measures.

3.To conceal or obscure the clandestine diversion of funds intended for legitimate purposes, but diverted for terrorist purposes.

Mr. Pinder said that currently, there are approximately 1,047 NPOs registered in the country.  He explained that the Compliance Unit has completed the process of a preliminary assessment of the sector by conducting a desktop review to enable the risk profiling of each individual NPO.

The team, he said, has employed risk rating criteria, which when coupled with the detailed analysis of information obtained from questionnaires, and interviews, will allow an identification and comprehensive assessment of the types of NPOs that are likely to be at risk of terrorist financing abuse.

“The results of the risk assessment exercise will inform a risk based or, in other words ‘targeted’ supervision and monitoring of the NPO sector in The Bahamas,” he said.

“I am sure it will bring much comfort to many of you if the outcome of this risk assessment demonstrates that you are at little to no risk for terrorist financing abuse. This will, no doubt, place you in a low risk category with little supervision and monitoring. If the outcome, however, if there are risks to terrorist financing abuse, and corresponding vulnerabilities due to the nature of your activities and engagement with international elements, then by all means, enhanced monitoring and supervision would be warranted.”

He noted the vital role NPOs play in the local economy, but said they also play a role in the global economy. “Your efforts complement government activities in providing essential services as well as comfort and in many cases, spiritual guidance and hope to those in need, “he said. “NPOs have been a critical partner in providing much needed assistance with disaster relief efforts in The Bahamas and throughout the world. We have seen this first hand with our own experiences with Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Our NPOs were on the ground providing support to thousands of Bahamians; along with many of our churches, which were involved. These efforts are commendable.”

He said, however, that despite legitimate efforts, the events of September 11 coupled with the ongoing international campaign against terrorist financing have demonstrated that terrorists and terrorist organizations exploit the NPO sector to raise and move funds, provide logistical support, encourage terrorist recruitment or otherwise support terrorist organizations and operations. This misuse, he emphasized, undermines donor confidence and compromises the integrity of NPOs.

The Minister explained that in May 2021, The Bahamas applied to the CFATF for a re-rating of FATF Recommendations, which were rated as partially compliant and two recommendations were revised since the Bahamas’ Mutual Evaluation.  During The CFATF Plenary in December 2021, The Bahamas received nine upgrades, one downgrade and two ratings were maintained. Recommendation 15 was downgraded from Largely Compliant and Recommendation 8 maintained a rating of Partially Compliant.

“The completion of the risk assessment, with your input through questionnaires and interviews, will enable The Bahamas to further comply with Recommendation 8.  In May 2022, next month, The Bahamas will make an application for an upgrade from “partially compliant” to “largely compliant” or better yet “fully compliant.”

During her overview of The FATF Recommendation 8, Tiffany Moss pointed out that several criteria increased the risk of NPOs as it relates to terrorist finance abuse, including those with annual turnovers of $75,000 or higher and cross-border movement of cash (such as those with parent companies or affiliates in another jurisdiction), among other risk levels.

 

Letisha Henderson

(BIS)

Bahamas News

The Government Signs Power Purchase Agreements to Help Transform Power Generation Across the Family Islands

Published

on

By Llonella Gilbert
Bahamas Information Services

 

NASSAU, The Bahamas — During a press conference at the Office of The Prime Minister on Sunday, June 1, 2025, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis announced the signing of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with two Bahamian partners who will help to transform power generation across the Family Islands.

The Prime Minister said, “We have made incredible progress in such a short amount of time.  When we took office in 2021, we encountered a power grid and power generation system on life support.”

He explained that Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) was drowning in over half a billion dollars of debt, plus another $100 million in unfunded pension obligations.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      The Prime Minister noted that at the same time, the country’s energy infrastructure required $500 million in critical upgrades to prevent catastrophic failure.                                                                                                                                                                                                       He said, “In New Providence, 60 percent of power generation equipment needed replacement, while our Family Islands were in even worse shape, with 80 percent of equipment requiring replacement within five years.

“For Bahamian families, our energy failures caused unnecessary hardship for a population that was still staggering from the effects of Hurricane Dorian, COVID-19, a deflated economy, and crippling inflation.”

The Prime Minister said the Government is committed to taking on these challenges head-on, with energy reform near the top of its list of priorities as one of the most meaningful ways to lower costs for families and local businesses.

“Ultimately, we see energy reform as a catalyst for economic empowerment and growth for all Bahamians.”

He added, “Our vision extended to every island, not just New Providence, not just the major economic and population centres, but to every island where Bahamians live, work, and raise their families.”

The Prime Minister noted that it is an ambitious undertaking requiring the Government to take on multiple Bahamian partners to deliver on its promise of widespread change.

“The PPAs we are signing today represent our unwavering commitment to keeping that promise.

“These partnerships will bring modern, reliable, affordable electricity to islands that have, for too long, endured aging infrastructure, frequent outages, and exorbitant costs.”

He explained that through these agreements, the Government will establish solar microgrids combined with advanced LNG and multigas systems across nine different areas in the Family Islands.

“This hybrid approach represents the perfect balance for our archipelago. We are harnessing our abundant sunshine while introducing cleaner fuels to ensure that our power needs are met, regardless of what the weather looks like.”

The Prime Minister said, “All of our partners are Bahamian-owned enterprises with the resources to expedite development to ensure that our people will benefit from these changes as soon as possible.

“In fact, each one of the PPAs we have signed this year will be initiated before year’s end and will be completed in 2026.”

He said among the companies the Government is partnering with is Family Island Microgrid Co., which will develop and operate new energy systems on five islands: Harbour Island, Bimini, Moore’s Island, Farmer’s Cay, Black Point and Staniel Cay in the Exumas. These communities will soon benefit from efficient multi-gas generation.

The Prime Minister said the second partnership is with RenugenPro Co. Ltd.   RenugenPro who will bring an energy revolution to San Salvador, Long Island, and Cat Island, with solar, battery energy storage and LNG facilities.

“These islands, each with their own unique energy challenges, will soon enjoy reliable, affordable electricity that should be the right of every Bahamian citizen.  The impact of these changes will be felt within months, not years.”

He explained that as large-scale solar and hybrid facilities spring up, Bahamians will benefit immediately from these comprehensive energy reforms.                                                                                                                                                                                            The Prime Minister said by this time next year, Bahamians across 14 islands will experience the benefits of modern, reliable, affordable electricity.                                                                                                                                He added that by 2030, 32 per cent of the nation’s electricity needs will be met by solar power – surpassing the global target of 30 per cent.

“Finally, after years of falling behind in the adoption of renewable energy, we will lead the way using the power of the sun in this new energy era:

“No more sky-high electricity bills at the end of each month.

“No more sweating in the dark at night because of power failures and load shedding.”

The Prime Minister said, “No more appliances shorting out and food going bad because the power went off for far too long.  That is the energy future we are striving for.”

(OPM Photos/Bradisha Fraser)

Continue Reading

Bahamas News

Bahamas Goombay Punch Makes a Huge Splash at National Family Island Regatta Again

Published

on

Nassau, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Goombay Punch is proud to once again offer its support with a $5,000 donation at the 69th National Family Island Regatta (NFIR) in Georgetown, Exuma.

Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers of Coca-Cola and Dasani products, donated 480 cans of Bahamas Goombay Punch and 280 bottles of Dasani water to the event.

Jonathan Thronebury, Marketing Director for CBC spoke to the company’s continual support of the regatta.

“Bahamas Goombay Punch is more than a beloved local brand—it’s a vibrant part of our cultural fabric. Just like sailing, our national sport, it carries a rich legacy that spans generations. Recognizing this shared history, we’re proud to support initiatives that celebrate and advance Bahamian culture. ” he shared.

Bahamas Goombay Punch engaged regatta goers in the beautiful Elizabeth Harbor with trivia games, exciting prizes, branded giveaways and of course complimentary samples of the official soft drink of The Bahamas!

Family-friendly fun and Bahamian culture aside, the NFIR served as the second round of competition for the third annual Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup.

The Goombay Punch Cup competition is initiative developed by Caribbean Bottling to further the advancement of sailing and Bahamian culture through monetary and social support. The competition judges the skipper’s performance across three Regattas, The Best of the Best, the National Family Island and Long Island Regattas.

This season focused on the skillsets of all the skippers and sloops in the C-Class category. The winner, who will be announced at the end of the Long Island Regatta, will receive a $5,000 award, an $8,000 stipend towards the junior sailing club of the winning island, and a first-place commemorative limited-edition Bahamas Goombay Punch featuring the winning sloop’s design.

Congratulations are to Exuma’s ‘H20’, led by captain Efford Kemp  for winning the second leg of the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup. Their win follows Long Island’s ‘Sassie Sue’, led by Stefan Knowles, at the 2024 Best of the Best Regatta in New Providence.

For those who didn’t get to experience in the Bahamas Goombay Punch joy in Exuma there will be another opportunity to win exciting prizes in Long Island. Sailing enthusiasts will also get to watch fierce competition between the C-Class sloops as they fight for the first-place title of the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup during the final round of competition.

To keep up-to-date with the Goombay Punch Cup and all things Bahamas Goombay Punch, visit Caribbean Bottling Company’s website at www.cbcbahamas.com.

Continue Reading

Bahamas News

Haiti Named in New U.S. Travel Ban Amid National Security Concerns

Published

on

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

NASSAU, Bahamas — Haiti, a Caribbean nation and founding member of CARICOM, is among a dozen countries now facing full travel restrictions to the United States under a sweeping proclamation issued by former U.S. President Donald J. Trump.  The move, which revives and expands the controversial travel ban first introduced during Trump’s initial term, cites national security and immigration risks as justification.

According to the White House, Haiti was added to the list due to high visa overstay rates—over 31% for tourist visas and 25% for student and exchange categories—as well as the country’s ongoing instability.  U.S. authorities say Haiti lacks a centralized authority capable of sharing reliable law enforcement or identity data, and the recent surge of Haitian nationals entering the U.S. illegally during the Biden administration has raised additional alarms in Washington.

“Hundreds of thousands of illegal Haitian aliens flooded into the United States during the Biden Administration,” the Proclamation states, linking the influx to public safety and security risks.  The administration further argues that Haiti’s inability to manage travel documents and lack of vetting protocols undermines U.S. border control efforts.

President Trump’s order, issued under Executive Order 14161, restricts entry from 12 countries deemed to have failed key vetting and cooperation standards.  Alongside Haiti, nations such as Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, and Somalia are now subject to full bans. Another seven countries—including Cuba and Venezuela—face partial restrictions.

The renewed travel ban has sparked concern across the region, particularly in Caribbean circles where questions arise over its diplomatic implications.  While exceptions exist for certain visa categories and individuals deemed to serve U.S. national interests, the Proclamation sends a strong signal about the administration’s revived hardline stance on immigration and border security.

Trump has declared the move necessary to “keep America safe” and “combat terrorism through common-sense security standards.”

Continue Reading

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

TRENDING