Connect with us

Bahamas News

Ministry of Agriculture Launches  Digital Application Services Via MyGateway Platform

Published

on

By: BETTY VEDRINE, BIS

 

NASSAU, The Bahamas — Persons wishing to do business with the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs, will now be able to do so via the government’s MyGateway.gov.bs portal. On Monday, 19th June, the Ministry officially launched the services and  marked a major milestone in its quest to elevate the country’s third largest industry.

In what is being hailed a ‘game changer’ for the farming and fishing industries, access to digital services will now be a reality for customers.  The Ministry officially launched the first-ever online services application via MyGateway.gov.bs during a ceremony held at the Digital Transformation Unit at Airport Industrial Park, June 19, 2023.  The project was facilitated via a partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs, the Hon. Clay Sweeting said he was proud to see the plan come into fruition.

“Ladies and gentlemen, today is a very important day and if you couldn’t tell already, I am so proud to see the fruits of many months of planning and coordination between teams in the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs and in the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

I commend all teams involved as we jointly launch these 12 services, which are now available online via MyGateway.gov.bs.” said Mr. Sweeting. “Today, June 19th, is a sign that having a vision and persistence pays off.  Two industries, vital to our nation’s survival, have weathered time and circumstances and now, this administration has made it easier for customers, specifically those in Agriculture and Marine Resources, to apply online for the various services offered by the ministry and departments.  As the minister responsible and as a primary objective of my ministry in this digital age, I have prioritized the needs of our clients to access our services online, whether they themselves are on land or at sea.”

He said the day marked a transition in the way business is conducted at the ministry by utilising technology to improve and reduce the cost of and promote the ease of doing business with the government.

“For the first time in this nation’s history, customers of this ministry can now apply and pay for the following services online at MyGateway.gov.bs.

In the Ministry of Agriculture: Market at Gladstone Road – Vendor Application, and Agriculture Farm Land Lease Application

In the Department of Agriculture, applications for: Farmer’s Registration – New & Renewal Dog Registration & License – New, Renewal, & Transfer, and CITES Plants Permit (including Orchids)

In the Department of Marine Resources: Bonefishing Duty-Free Permit, Aquaculture (Culture Fishery Resource) Duty-Free Permit, and
Commercial Fishing Vessel/Equipment Duty-Free Permits.

“These online services,” he said “represent as you can see, the empowerment of the Bahamian people whereby the Farmer’s Markets on Gladstone Road will see new vendors join and legacy vendors continue. The lease provisions for land to farm on, being available here, give more farmers around the islands a convenient way to apply.”

He said that the Farmer’s Registration Certificate, gives farmers of crops, bee-keeping, livestock, or horticulture, access to a number of concessions and incentives.  There are also provisions for the registration of dogs. The Minister said that although many persons may be unaware of it, the registration of dogs (3 months or older) is required by law.

The Minister also outlined other services that would be accessible via the applications.

“The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Plants (including orchids), can be imported and/or exported, and the permit to do either is also our responsibility,” said Mr. Sweeting. “The facilitation of a permit to import vessels and fishing gear to grow the bone fishing sector, which has carved out a vibrant niche in the sports fishing arena for the Bahamas is among today’s launched services. The ability to apply for a permit to import equipment and breeding/seedstock for fish farming, which is a steadily growing sector. The Importation of commercial fishing vessels and equipment is also possible with duty-free permits.

Mr. Sweeting noted that prior to the twelve new services, the Ministry already had eighteen services available on the MyGateway portal. These additional services, he pointed out, increases the ministry’s digital footprint and consequently places the ministry in a leading position in the government’s digital agenda.

Additionally, he said that Cabinet approval has also been received to proceed with the digitalization of the work flows within the ministry in order to improve overall efficiency to better serve customers. The result, he explained, would be the creation of a ‘paperless’ work environment employing electronic records, work flows and digitized file cabinets.

“MyGateway is an intuitive platform, designed to meet the unique digital needs of our agencies. It is a platform that allows customers of the government the easy completion of application forms for services, and uploading of supporting documents,” said the Minister.

“We are excited to reveal new suites of innovation, to better serve you and to leave our footprints and voice across these islands and seas. If you find that you have a need for any of these services, our appeal to you is to utilize the online portal to apply. The staff in the Ministry and Departments are trained and ready to serve you! MyGateway is equipped with an amazing help desk so that our clients can also have the technical support they need.”

 

PHOTO CAPTION

Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs, the Hon. Clay Sweeting speaks during the official launch of the ministry’s new services accessible on the government’s ‘MyGateway’ portal, June 19, 2023.  (BIS Photos/Patrick Hanna).

Continue Reading

Bahamas News

Twist To Win Ends in a Grand Style with Four $5,000 Mall at Marathon Shopping Sprees  

Published

on

Twist To Win grand finale winners (l-r) Brian Bethel, Taraceta Neely, Ashia Demeritte and Merlin Adams posing along with their winnings from the shopping spree.

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.

Continue Reading

Bahamas News

 The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival  

Published

on

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!

Continue Reading

Bahamas News

CWS Brings a Galore of Bubbles at Annual Jollification Festival  

Published

on

Caribbean Wines & Spirits team members smiling behind one of the company’s two bars at Jollification

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.

Continue Reading

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

TRENDING