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Grand Bahama $17 Million Dollar Budget, Minister Moxey calls it people-focused and moving in the right direction

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By ANDREW COAKLEY

Bahamas Information Services

 

 

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama — Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey says the 2023-2024 budget for the island of Grand Bahama is a step in the right direction “and it remains people-focused to bring relief to our people who are in need and to develop programs and initiatives that empower our people, in collaboration with local and international organizations, to enhance the quality of life for our people and improve communities.”

During her presentation in the House of Assembly on Monday, June 19, 2023, during the Budget Debate, Minister Moxey pointed out that the budget of over $17 million for the Ministry for Grand Bahama, represents the highest proposed budget for that Ministry, since its establishment in 2021. She noted that it represents a level of commitment by the Government to the people of Grand Bahama.

“The supplemental budget made some variations for an estimated spend of $19 million, attributed to the Beautiful Grand Bahama program,” explained Minister Moxey. “The 2022-2023 proposed budget, presented a year ago, was over $13 million. This increase is primarily attributed to the special employment program that included the Beautiful Grand Bahama participants at 4.7 million and increased utilities and overall supplies that have been consolidated with the Ministry for Grand Bahama as the distributing ministry.

“The capital budget, however, has decreased from $1.8 million to $500,000, so I will be relying on the member from Fort Charlotte, because we have some work to do for Grand Bahama Island and we’re going to need some of that capital expenditure.”

The Grand Bahama Minister explained that some seven hundred thousand of the funds for Collab for the 2023 budget had been reassigned to the special employment project, considering that most of the Collab budget was utilized by the Beautiful Grand Bahama program. She said there has been a slight increase in marketing and promotions, as the Ministry made good on its promise to deliver on its mandate to promote Grand Bahama as a tourism and industrial center.

She thanked her team of employees within the Ministry for Grand Bahama for all of their hard work and dedication in helping to bring about all of the achievements and success and helping to empower more Grand Bahamians. She said the Ministry has been working expeditiously to “fix” Grand Bahama, through collaboration with various agencies and corporations in Grand Bahama one project at a time.

“We’ve established collab partnerships for development and many corporate partners are coming on board to support, like Doctors Hospital, Linx, Delta-Sigma, GBPA and Hutchison,” said Minister Moxey. “We worked feverishly to push the Evidence Amendment Act to bring closure to families of victims of Hurricane Dorian. We are creating touristic experiences and opportunities to empower our people.

“We’ve help to put bread on the tables for hundreds of Grand Bahamians. People who haven’t worked in three to four years. Crime went down. These are the real stories that people don’t often hear about. The proof is there. The results are there. Those lives impacted in a positive way tells the real story.

“When we saw that the event promoters were having challenges, we reached out to them, met with them and addressed the matter head-on and fixed it. Through Beautiful Grand Bahama, we started the revitalization of touristic sites, beaches, and parks, which was a catalyst for the highly impressive events calendar for Grand Bahama.

“When Grand Bahama had very little blood available in the blood bank, we collectively got together, collaborated and made history with the largest amount of blood collected on a single day in the country.”

Outlining some of the success stories as a result of collaboration, Minister Moxey pointed out that  her Ministry has partnered with many companies on a range of social and business development projects. Together, they have been able to renovate government buildings, restore touristic and memorial sites and generally made it a more beautiful Grand Bahama.

They’ve renovated dilapidated government-owned structures to serve as transition homes to those in need; partnered with the Royal Bahamas Police force for the assignment of a safe house and have built three beautiful Memorials in Freetown, High Rock and McLean’s Town to commemorate the lives of those lost during Hurricane Dorian.

Minister Moxey noted that fixing Grand Bahama takes innovation; it takes grit, and it takes stickability. So, as Minister for Grand Bahama, she had to find creative ways to tap into resources to get things done. The Ministry for Grand Bahama began working with the Grand Bahama Port Authority on a number of issues, including road paving, removing derelict buildings, and establishing the ease of doing business. They liaised with the industrial sector and appealed to the conscience of the corporate community to partner on social programs.

“We connected with the international community on partnerships for development and we connected stakeholders to resolve issues for social and economic development,” said Minister Moxey. “We took advantage of every opportunity to promote Grand Bahama Island as an ideal place for investment. And we have had some big wins. Making significant progress, creating the framework to catapult Grand Bahama as the grand island that it is and letting Grand Bahamians know that it is time to return home.

“We are reminding Bahamians throughout The Bahamas and the diaspora, that Grand Bahama awaits you. The opportunities are there for those who are innovative. Grand Bahama is in good hands with this Davis/Cooper administration. We have done much to be proud of, but there is still so much more to do. The future for Grand Bahama is bright. I am more excited now than I was before.

“Everything is lined up. I truly believe that when all is revealed, everyone who wants to own a business or get a job, will be able to do this in the new Grand Bahama, made possible by this new day administration.

“The reality is, Grand Bahama is bouncing back. It is rebounding. We are fixing legacy issues. It is the ideal place for growth and to raise a family. The opportunities on the horizon are vast. It’s very encouraging.”

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C&W COMMUNICATIONS PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED AS ATHLETES “CHASE THE SUN”

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World Relays to be title sponsored by BTC, one of C&W’s local brands.

 

In just a few days, athletes from over fifty countries will converge in The Bahamas for the BTC World Athletic Relays Bahamas 24. C&W Communications, the parent company of BTC, is proud to be associated with this major event, which will see athletes from The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago competing for a place in the upcoming Olympic games in Paris.

Inge Smidts, CEO of C&W Communications, who also serves as Chair of the BTC Board of Directors will be in the stands to witness the highly anticipated relays. Smidts says, this was an event that she simply could not miss. “We are proud to support our Caribbean athletes, and we wish them well as they vie for a spot in the Olympic games.

The relays will be held one of in our markets, The Bahamas, and we are honoured to be the title sponsor of the event. The world relays represent the spirit of relentless courage and the willingness to succeed of the Caribbean people and of our business. Through partnerships like this we demonstrate our unwavering commitment to connect communities and change lives.”

In addition to its sponsorship of the event, Smidts says it was important that athletes, officials, and fans stayed connected during the games. “As a business we are focused on ensuring that our customers have access to faster, stronger, and more reliable connectivity, and we worked with our partners to make certain that athletes and guests remain connected.

We have offered e-sim cards, and we also worked with the major hotels to set up care centers to ensure that we address any connectivity concerns on the spot. Additionally, I am pleased to announce that BTC will provide free Wi-Fi at the stadium giving patrons and athletes the opportunity to share every riveting moment.”

BTC has hosted a special event just for the Caribbean athletes, at the newly renovated Queen’s Staircase in Nassau, a recently renovated historic landmark visited by thousands of tourists each day. This event gave athletes the opportunity to unwind, mingle, and to learn more about each other right before the competition.

This is the fourth time that BTC and its parent company C&W Communications have title sponsored the world relays. The BTC World Athletic Relays will be held at the Thomas A. Robinson Track & Field Stadium from May 4-5, under the theme, “Chase the Sun, from Paradise to Paris.”

 

 

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RBC appoints new Country Manager and Area Vice President for Turks & Caicos 

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RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited (“RBC”) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Kerryl-Lyn King-Henry as Country Manager and Area Vice President (“AVP”), Personal and Commercial Banking, Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

In her new role as Country Manager and AVP, King-Henry will take on full responsibility for the bank’s operations, strategy, and development in the TCI market, with a strong focus on solidifying partnerships with the Government, regulatory bodies, and the local community.

King-Henry brings to the role a dynamism influenced by nearly 25 years of industry experience. Prior to her new appointment, she served as AVP of Business Banking in Trinidad and Tobago. She has held progressively senior roles within both personal and commercial banking, as well as various functional units.

King-Henry holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with a specialization in Leadership, FinTech and Big Data Analysis, in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Further enriching her professional profile, Kerryl-Lyn is a certified John C. Maxwell Coach, Trainer, Teacher, and Speaker. Her passion for leadership and development is matched by her commitment to community service, as she actively volunteers her time and leverages her professional expertise to mentor and support others. “

Kerryl-Lyn’s extensive experience and proven leadership capabilities make her the perfect choice to lead our operations in the Turks & Caicos Islands,” said Ericka Rolle, RBC’s Managing Director and Vice President, Personal Banking, The Bahamas and TCI.

“Her commitment to excellence, combined with a genuine passion for community engagement, aligns perfectly with our Bank’s purpose of helping clients thrive and communities prosper. We are excited to see the positive impact she will undoubtedly bring to her new role,” she added.

 

 

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Get your laugh on, March On show coming to Turks and Caicos with box office at IGA Friday and Saturday

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Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale this weekend from May 3 to 5.

Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew. 

“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attention.” 

The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.

“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.” 

And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations. 

A ticket booth will be set up from today, Friday May 3 in the foyer of IGA grocery store beginning at 1 p.m. Friday and then again all day on Saturday, allowing residents to purchase with cash. 

Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. Then the full team returns on Friday, May 11 for the actual showing at 8 pm and their two showings on Saturday at 4pm and 8 pm. The venue is Brayton Hall, Providenciales under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady Delthia Misick.

Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described. 

Tickets are only $60 for general seating and $75 for VIP seating. 

Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.

As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:

“The way that people have responded to it is non stoplaughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”

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