Value Added Tax (VAT) and The Bahamas: ...Moody's International Credit Rating Agency has assigned value-added tax (VAT) a credit positive ...and estimates it could account for a third of The Bahamas' government revenue by 2016

Moody’s assigns VAT credit positive

Moody’s projects new tax could make up third of govt revenue by 2016, serving as ‘significant catalyst’ in economic reform effort

BY JEFFREY TODD
Guardian Business Editor
jeffrey@nasguard.com
Nassau, The Bahamas

An international ratings agency has assigned value-added tax (VAT) a credit positive and estimates it could account for a third of government revenue by 2016.

Moody's official assessment, released yesterday morning, found that VAT will likely be revenue neutral in the first one or two years. The government recently announced it would implement the tax by July 2014. This delay in revenue is due to a large set of zero-rated or tax-exempt goods and services, according to the report, and the elimination of other taxes such as select excise duties and business licensing fees.

"Fiscal revenue gains will become apparent as the VAT system matures," Moody's stated.

"We estimate the gross contribution of VAT revenue will expand to six percent of GDP annually by 2016. This will be a significant catalyst for the government's fiscal consolidation efforts."

Indeed, other countries in the region with VAT systems in place, such as Barbados, Belize and Jamaica, report overall fiscal revenue contribution of about 30 percent, or around eight percent of GDP.

"The ultimate effect of tax reforms, including the VAT, on The Bahamas' creditworthiness will depend on the government's willingness and ability to embed them in a broader fiscal strategy that also begins to reign in the government's current expenditure commitments," the report continued.

Moody's explained that the government's tax base currently stands at less than 20 percent of GDP, which is small compared to other countries in the region. The ratings agency referred to trade-related customs duties as "volatile", and yet it made up 50 percent of the total revenue in 2012.

Most significantly, it noted that this revenue source will likely "shrink" as duties are phased out with World Trade Organization (WTO) ascension.

Moody's also highlighted the "significant tax concessions" in tourism. As a result, this area accounts for only 10 percent of fiscal revenues.

In his mid-year budget communication yesterday, Prime Minister Perry Christie hinted that these concessions could be scaled back as part of the government's aggressive strategy to right the economy.

Last year, according to the government, trade tax made up 9.3 percent of GDP. Property tax accounted for just 1.4 percent, tourism-related taxes 2.1 percent and non-tax revenue 1.4 percent.

"Other tax" made up 4.1 percent, bringing the total revenue composition to less than 20 percent of GDP.

"The VAT is a key element of a broader set of structural reforms introduced this year to expand and diversify the tax base. The reforms reflect the government's commitment to fiscal consolidation," the report said.

Interestingly, the ratings agency made no mention of the government's plan to bring the tax on board by next year. The Christie administration has been criticized for assigning an overly ambitious timeline, most recently by the Council for Concerned Bahamians Abroad.

James Smith, a former minister of state for finance, emphasized yesterday that VAT is not a new idea for The Bahamas. The first study, he said, was conducted in 2002 with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"It would appear starting fresh you would need more time. But a lot of the ground work has already been done," he told Guardian Business.

Of all the reforms introducing by Prime Minister Perry Christie in recent times, Smith said VAT is the most significant.

"It's something we have never done before, where we expand tax to cover services. For us, I think it is a dramatic change," he added.

February 26, 2013

thenassauguardian

Bahamian banks react to data breach... ...thieves may have infiltrated an international acquiring company located somewhere in the Caribbean... ...Sensitive information for clients across the region could have spilled into the hands of criminals ...although there have been no major reports of fraud

Banks react to data breach

Commonwealth Bank and Bank of The Bahamas join Fidelity in reissuing credit cards, as financial institutions monitor client transactions closely

BY JEFFREY TODD
Guardian Business Editor
jeffrey@nasguard.com
Nassau, The Bahamas

Another financial institution has pulled the trigger on the partial reissuing of credit cards as the possibility of a major data breach sinks in.

Following an assessment of the risk, Commonwealth Bank Limited (CBL) is considering whether to send out 5,000 new credit cards to its clients, a process that could take up to three weeks.

Ian Jennings, the president of CBL, confirmed that some clients have already received new cards.  He said that a decision will be made soon on whether to commence a mass reissuing.

Sources close to the matter told Guardian Business that Bank of The Bahamas (BOB) is also reissuing cards.  Paul McWeeney, the managing director at BOB, did not respond to request for comment before press time.

On Tuesday, Guardian Business exclusively revealed that thieves may have infiltrated an international acquiring company located somewhere in the Caribbean.  Sensitive information for clients across the region could have spilled into the hands of criminals, although there have been no major reports of fraud.

Anwer Sunderji, the CEO of Fidelity Bank (Bahamas), said all Bahamian banks have been compromised and the institution chose to replace its cards as of late last week.

Indeed, financial institutions in The Bahamas don't appear to be taking any chances.

"As a matter of precaution, we are reissuing cards to our customers and notifying those that may have been breached," Jennings said.  "It is an expense in terms of manpower.  The cost of plastic is low.  It is the process and getting them out as quick as we can that is costly.  It will take up to three weeks to get them out."

Jennings told Guardian Business that it's a precaution CBL must take given the circumstances, noting that "you don't want that kind of exposure".

Managing Director of Scotiabank (Bahamas) Kevin Teslyk said yesterday that the breach appears to stem from a missing data tape or device from an office in Barbados.

He stressed that the bank employs very sophisticated monitoring software and preventative techniques.  Since the missing tape, the alert has not been escalated, although the bank will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days and weeks.

"If things change we'll handle it on an individual level, and if need be, to a greater extent if necessary," he added.

Wendy Craigg, governor of the Central Bank, confirmed that the risk could be "material".  The Central Bank was first informed of the incident by a domestic institution last week.  Over time, it became apparent that other banks were compromised and the replacement of cards would be necessary.

"As a regulator, we are always concerned about operational risk issues, and certainly one such as this could be material.  Our approach has been to contact all our domestic licensees, especially those issuing Visa Debit cards, to assess the extent of the breach," she said.  "We have determined that banks which processed transactions through the affected service provider were already alerted to the breach, and we are following up the matter to assess any possible exposure."

The governor applauded the response of banks thus far to protect their clients, pointing out that the breach is not just impacting The Bahamas.

Other entities within the Caribbean and elsewhere utilize the affected service provider.

For his part, Jennings told Guardian Business that there is very little that can be done about these data breaches.  Customers should always be careful with their card usage, he said, and during this time clients must be especially attentive.

February 22, 2013

thenassauguardian

Sir Hilary Beckles, Principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) ...wants Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries to begin efforts aimed at seeking some form of reparation from Western countries ...for slavery

UWI principal wants CARICOM to seek reparation for slavery

The New York Carib News



GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Sir Hilary Beckles, wants Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries to begin efforts aimed at seeking some form of reparation from Western countries for slavery.

Speaking at the first of a series of lectures to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the 1763 Berbice Slave Revolt, Sir Hilary said an ongoing discussion was needed to address the issue and called for an “informed and sensible conversation” on what has been described as the, “Worst Crime against humanity”.

The lecture titled, “Britain’s Black Debt: reparations owed the Caribbean for Slavery and Indigenous Genocide”, examined the damage done and wealth created through the slave trade particularly by Britain. Sir Hilary said out that reparation is not about people getting handouts, but about repairing historical damage and how to find a way forward.

He said that while all races experienced some form of slavery, African slavery was unique in its scope and brutality. Comparative studies note that it was the only system of slavery in which people were viewed legally as property and seen as non- humans.

African slavery was also unique in that it reproduced itself, meaning the children of slaves were born as slaves, they had no rights, and females in particular were seen as the prefect property since their offspring would add their value.

Sir Hilary said landmark cases such as the 1781 Zong Massacre in which 350 slaves were thrown to sharks after the ship’s captain went off course, helped to shape the discussion on the legality of slavery.

He said the issue of slavery has in recent years been viewed as a crime against humanity and these types of crimes have attracted calls for reparation for victims, in various forms.

He cited the case of Haiti noting Western countries had no qualms about requesting and obtaining compensation. Haiti had to pay, from 1825 to 1922, 150 million gold francs to France after its slave population fought and successfully gained its freedom.

Sir Hilary argued that Haiti has never been able to recover from that payment, which was needed for it to gain international recognition.

Sir Hilary urged Caribbean countries to emulate the position adopted by the Jews who were prosecuted during the Second World War and have since organised the Jewish Reparation Fund.

He said that through meticulous research, the organisation has been able to garner financial support for its claims against several countries for atrocities committed against Jews. These funds have been used to enhance the State of Israel in various means.

Sir Hilary said that countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan and New Zealand have put measures in place as part of their efforts to give reparation to indigenous peoples or war victims, yet there has been no similar move by CARICOM on behalf of its people.

He said the benefits accrued to many of the now powerful Western nations through slavery have been documented and accepted, citing the cases of the aristocracy in England, the Lloyds and Barclays’ banks which built massive fortunes through their involvement with the slave trade.

Yet many of these same countries have not been willing to offer any apologies for slavery, but instead have grudgingly given “expressions of regret”, an acknowledgment that falls short of an apology,” Sir Hilary said.

He said CARICOM has to come together to find a way to address the issue, one which will lead to peace, justice, reconciliation and future harmony.

February 13, 2013

The New York Carib News

The Rule of Law in the Turks and Caicos Islands

By David Rowe
Caribbean Journal - Op-Ed Contributor





In a political blast that threatens to cause a constitutional crisis in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the current Premier, Dr Rufus Ewing, has asked Her Majesty’s Government to recall Governor Ric Todd, Attorney General Huw Shepheard and CFO Hugh McGarel Groves.

This development is the most recent in a sequence of historic constitutional developments in the Turks and Caicos. But there has been serious corruption in the Turks and Caicos, and any potential recall of the Governor would simply not help in resolving these longstanding problems.

The Turks and Caicos had its 2006 constitution suspended in August of 2009, when the United Kingdom resumed direct control over the Turks and Caicos in response to widespread allegations of serious government corruption.

The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office reviewed a Commission of Inquiry led by Sir Robin Auld, who had documented widespread government corruption among government officials including Turks and Caicos Islands Premier Michael Misick.

This is not the first time that the British had imposed direct role as they had done so in 1986, although it was later restored two years later.

Michael Misick resigned after the Auld Commission of Inquiry accused him of corruption and he was later asked by the Turks and Caicos’ newly-formed Special Investigation and Prosecution Team to surrender to the police for questioning.

Misick failed to surrender, however, and after a sojourn in a series of Latin American countries, was later arrested in Brazil after he was made the subject of an Interpol international arrest warrant.

The SIPT investigators who are seeking to question Missick have charged at least 12 other individuals, including five former Cabinet Ministers, on corruption-related charges.

In related circumstances, the SIPT reached an agreement with Sandals Resorts International, by which the company paid $12 million US dollars to the government.

The British Foreign Office introduced a new Turks and Caicos constitution in 2011.

The new constitution ultimately restored representative government to the Turks and Caicos with a local Cabinet, Ministers and a House of Assembly consisting of 15 elected members, chosen democratically in a vote in November 2012.

That election saw the return to power of the Turks and Caicos’ Progressive National Party, which won 8 of the 15 seats.

Earlier this month, however, one of the seats was declared vacant because of a successful election petition. A by-election is pending which could lead to a change of government next month.

In Ewing’s letter seeking a recall of the Governor and other officers. He suggested that “justice is for sale,” under the guise of plea-bargaining.

Dr Ewing specifically referred to well-known expatriate developers who had, in his opinion, secured their freedom from prosecution, both by monetary exchange under the guise of “Civil Recovery”, and by providing evidence against accused local politician “co-conspirators.”

In his letter to the Foreign Office, Dr Ewing implicitly suggested that there was a violation in the Rule of Law in the way in which the Constitutional Rules were being interpreted in the Turks & Caicos.

Professor AR Dicey, the British scholar famous for his jurisprudential theory, says that no one is above the Rule of Law, and he points out that the Rule of Law strengthens democracy.

Of course the Turks and Caicos is still a British Overseas Territory, and ultimately the Rule of Law will have to be determined by the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The Rule of Law dictates that the British Administration should be fair to all defendants both local and expatriate. But the allegation that “justice is for sale” should, at all costs, be disproven.


David P Rowe is an attorney in Jamaica and Florida and a law professor at the University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables, Fla.

February 14, 2013

Caribbean Journal

Bahamas Blog International

The Bahamas Government is proposing to implement a Value Added Tax (VAT) on July 1, 2014

Gov't Targets 15% Vat From July 1, 2014

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

 

THE Government is proposing to implement a Value Added Tax (VAT) on July 1, 2014, at a rate of 15 per cent, the Minister of State for Finance said yesterday, adding that the hotel industry would be subject to a lower 10 per cent rate.

Venezuela Debates Currency Devaluation while Impact Remains Unclear

By Ewan Robertson:



Mérida, 11^th February 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) –

There has been much debate in Venezuela over the causes and likely consequences of last Friday’s currency devaluation, while the concrete political and economic impact remains to be seen.

The Venezuelan government’s decision to devalue the Bolivar by 32%, from 4.3 to 6.3 Bolivars to the dollar, was a measure seen as inevitable by many economists after the Bolivar fell to under a quarter of its official value on the black market.

Alongside the decision, the fifth devaluation since currency controls were introduced in 2003, the government also announced the establishment of a new body to oversee the allocation of dollars to citizens and businesses.

Analysts in Venezuela have argued that the political impact of the devaluation will depend on the success of the media campaigns of both the government and the opposition, which are attempting to communicate their interpretations of the currency adjustment to the country.

However, economic factors will also determine the political impact of the devaluation, such as its effect on imports and domestic production, increases in inflation and prices, and complimentary government measures such a rise in the minimum wage and the effectiveness of price controls.

Opposition criticisms

The opposition has launched a campaign maximising the possible negative effects of the devaluation, partly in an attempt to erode support for Vice President Nicolas Maduro in the event of fresh presidential elections if Hugo Chavez is unable to continue in office on health grounds.

Ramon Aveledo of the opposition MUD coalition blamed the government for the devaluation, saying, “It’s due to the government’s irresponsibility and worrying incoherence”.

Opposition leaders and supporters alike nicknamed the move a “red” or “Cuban package” in an attempt to associate the devaluation with an IMF-style neoliberal structural adjustment package.

Julio Borges, a leader of right-wing party Justice First, said of the devaluation: “The only ones affected are the Venezuelan people, from whose pockets the government keeps taking money”.

He pointed to a rise in inflation and prices over the last two months, blaming this and the devaluation on high public spending. “Now they [the government] are going to make us pay for the consequences oftheir inability, waste and poor administration,” he declared.

A short-term rise in inflation is possible after the devaluation, because imports will be more expensive, with a concomitant effect on prices. On the other hand, since so many imported products are sold at prices that reflect the black market exchange rate, which is unlikely to change as a result of the devaluation, inflation might not rise much after all.

However, while sources such as Reuters have described a “spike” in annual inflation to 22.2% so far this year, a rise in inflation during and after the Christmas period is not unusual in Venezuela, and annual inflation is still below the annual rate experienced a year ago.

Government stance

Meanwhile, the government has highlighted the possible benefits of the devaluation, such as bringing in more oil revenue for social spending, helping boost domestic production, and potentially combating capital flight.
Foreign minister and former vice president Elias Jaua argued that the adjustment was made necessary due to the activities of a “speculator class” within Venezuela, who acquire dollars at the official exchange rate and then use those dollars for black market sale or to sell imported products at black market prices.

As such, Jaua defended the devaluation and the establishment of the government’s new currency exchange body as combating speculation and capital flight.

He also described the measures as part of “economic actions taken to protect our wealth in currency exchange, avoiding that it falls into the torrent of capitalist voracity, and to preserve our monetary resources for the sustainment of our socialist system of social benefit that our President Chavez has been constructing”.
Economist and pro-government legislator Jesus Faria further argued that the devaluation would make imports more expensive and exports cheaper, thus making domestic production more competitive.

He said that before last Friday’s devaluation there had existed “an exchange rate lag produced by the excessive cheapening of imports and the over-pricing of exports, which had to be corrected”.

US economist Mark Weisbrot also predicted the devaluation would have a positive impact. “The devaluation…by making imports more expensive [will] provide a boost to import-competing industries. For this reason, and because it reduces the black market premium and reduces capital flight, the move will overall be good for the economy,” he wrote.

Accusations that the devaluation represents an IMF-style “package” were widely dismissed outside opposition circles given that the move was not accompanied by any measures associated with neoliberal economics, such as privatisations, salary freezes, or the removal of subsidies.

However there have been criticisms of the move from within the pro-Chavez camp, where some activists have argued that currency devaluations contradict the movement’s political economy and that other measures could have been taken to address speculation on the Bolivar.

Leftist political scientist Nicmer Evans said that the move was “not very socialist”, because it is a measure “which affects the poorest and the richest equally”.

“Neither devaluation nor the Value Added Tax (VAT) are socialist measures, because they are regressive” he added on his Twitter account.

Venezuelanalysis

The facts about homosexuality

BY CYNTHIA BURTON

Jamaica Observer - Columns:

I want to add my thoughts to the much-talked about topic of homosexuality, and clarify, once and for all the facts about this lifestyle.

Let me first state that this issue is not only confined to the perspective of the church, but to the wider society as well. The first point that must be made clear is that homosexuality is a chosen lifestyle.

Homosexuals were not created. Man was created as a being of free choice. He was also created with an inherent sexuality, which is also governed by choice. If we look at nature and how it is designed, even the animals and plants exist as male and female. It was so ordained for procreation. Each creature has to procreate in a union of male and female to ensure the survival of their species.

 

I have used the word "created" guardedly, as there are those among us who do not believe in the creation theory, but would ascribe to the evolutionist theory that says man evolved from animal life. Whatever your persuasion, we have to agree that the natural order of things is male and female.

 

This homosexual lifestyle is wrong and abhorrent, and moves so far beyond the realm of the Christian church that if you should examine all other major religions, such as Islam and Hinduism, homosexuality is tabooed. Additionally, if you should approach the biggest don in the inner city or the dancehall artistes, who have nothing to do with the church, they will give out against this lifestyle.

In fact, several of them have been banned from certain countries because of the stance taken against their music which hits out against this lifestyle.

 

This lifestyle, therefore, is a classic case of doing and believing the thing that is wrong for such a long time that it now seems right.

 

Times have really changed as far as the acceptance of this lifestyle is concerned.

 

I remember as a child growing up that homosexuality had to be kept behind closed doors, and those who practised this way of life had to do so in their closets under circumstances of great privacy.

 

Now look at how our world has changed. We not only now accept this as a way of life, but we are seeking further to endorse it, by allowing those who practise homosexuality to demand the same rights as heterosexuals. We have now got to the point where we have put legislation in place to protect the rights of these persons, them the message that they have the right to this choice of lifestyle and can therefore make such demands.

 

Now let us look at the whole thing from the church's perspective.

 

What is the church? The church in the bible is spoken about as the bride. It is God's institution and the voice of God for man.

 

If we go back to the book of Genesis, at the time of creation in Genesis 1 vs 21:

 

"And God created great whales, and every living creature and every living creature that moveth which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind and every winged fowl after his kind and God saw that it was good."

 

Genesis 1 vs 27 and 28:

 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them.

 

(28) "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

 

Now for those who say that the Bible does not speak out against homosexuality, and that Jesus himself did not address this issue, let us move over to Romans 1 vs 24 - 27.

 

(24) Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves,

 

(25) Who changed the truth of God into a lie.

 

(26) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature.

 

(27)And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of a woman, burned in their lust one toward another men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error...

 

Now we see the implications of societal acceptance of homosexuality, that people who practise this lifestyle have taken this matter to a different level, where they are now heading up the church and purporting to lead God's flock. It is the tolerance of this lifestyle that has now resulted in these persons now demanding rights of those things that are rightly the purview of heterosexuals.

 

Let us go even further with this dilemma. Now homosexuals are demanding the right of marriage and the right to adopt children. Gay marriages are very popular in modern society.

 

Can you imagine a scenario where a gay couple adopts a child and takes on the responsibility of raising this child in a primarily homophobic society? The child goes to school and the school hosts a PTA meeting. These two parents, male for argument's sake, turn up at the PTA meeting. Who is Mom and who is Dad? Can you imagine this poor child the next day at school with the other children?

 

Let us be quite clear -- marriage was an institution ordained by God between a man and a woman who are expected to procreate and create the unit called the family. So important is this institution that Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding in Canaan of Galilee.

 

Now to the big question. Is homosexuality a sin? Let us look at the definition of sin. Sin is transgression of God's law. So those who argue that all sin is sin, may want to think again. Homosexuality is not provided for in the 10 commandments, because it is considered an abomination to God, and those who practice this lifestyle are flying in God's face and going against the order of things as God intended.

 

Now there are those who will argue that God created homosexuals. Let us be clear that God created all persons including the homosexual, but our sexuality and our sexual preference is as a result of the free choice with which we were all created. Some of us choose heterosexuality, some homosexuality and some abstinence. How could God create something that he abhors?

 

We can now see the dilemma that we have created as a society. The wrong has now become the right, and we are now creating laws on our books to not only allow the homosexual his constitutional rights, and to fulfil his everyday needs as stated in Maslows' hierarchy of needs, the right of food, shelter, the right to earn a living, but by extension are protecting rights that God ordained to be enjoyed between a man and a woman.

 

Additionally, while acknowledging these rights, we also have to be cognisant to the fact that certain professions, such as teaching, are not compatible with this lifestyle, because of the risk of perpetrating and influencing the spread of this lifestyle amongst the youth.

 

Finally, let us give the homosexual the benefit of the doubt and say for a minute that homosexuality is accepted and should enjoy all these rights.

 

Can we take it to the extreme and ask the question. What if all persons should adopt this lifestyle?  Can you imagine that the human race would become extinct, as the only thing that the homosexuals could not do is to procreate.

 

Finally, as a society, what legacy are we leaving for our children? Already as we move from generation to generation, we find our youth becoming more tolerant of this lifestyle and are being taught in schools that it is all right to pursue this lifestyle.

 

What of our moral values as a society? What will the decision makers of tomorrow embrace when they now become the leaders and legislators of tomorrow.

 

We therefore have to conclude that this lifestyle is unacceptable, abominable, and a clear message should be sent forthwith to all who choose to practise same, that they have the right to their sexuality, and all the other constitutional rights, based on their ability to contribute to society, but should not try to enforce this right to the point where we legislate for this lifestyle, thus threatening the whole moral fabric of society.

 

Let us therefore unite in a message of love to our homosexuals, that we love them as persons, but abhor their lifestyle. Additionally, this lifestyle is not permanent, and can be subject to change as evidenced by reformed homosexuals.

 

If we examine the facts, we see that environmental factors such as economic circumstances, rather than genetic predisposition, have influenced homosexuality, and therefore organisations such as J-FLAG should actively try to secure a transformation of this lifestyle, rather than serve as a voice in society for its acceptance.

 

cynthiacburton@hotmail.com

February 09, 2013

Jamaica Observer

Bahamas Blog International

Obama and the Caribbean

By David Rowe
Caribbean Journal - Op Ed Contributor




IF UNITED STATES PRESIDENT Barack Obama’s foreign policy can be criticized, it can be on the basis that it has been somnolent and reactionary with regard to Caribbean policy.

Neither the United States nor the Caribbean can afford this because of the two sides’ strong linkages, democratic connections and the close proximity: Montego Bay, Jamaica is about a one-hour flight from Miami. Bimini in the Bahamas is 50 miles from Miami.

The Obama administration should attempt to devise a coherent and dynamic Caribbean policy for the second term, particularly in the countries of Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba.

And this time around, there is no diplomatic spanner in the works such as Jamaica’s 2010 Christopher Coke Extradition dispute to freeze the dialogue.

Indeed, there are many positive potential economic factors promoting business and trade in the region between the US and the Caribbean.

President Obama can ostensibly increase economic growth in the southeastern United States by asserting and consolidating the United States’ leadership in regional trade policy in the Caribbean.

Haiti

It has now been three years since the catastrophic earthquake demolished much of Haiti.
And despite the significant activity by the United Nations and NGOs, Haiti remains the most poverty-stricken country in the Caribbean and, indeed, in the Western Hemisphere.

Even the personal attention of former Presidents Carter and Clinton has not yet been able to ignite significant business activity there.

Washington should try to devise a legislative strategy that would encourage Haiti to increase its exports and generate domestic jobs so that the continuous trickle of refugees fleeing Haiti for economic opportunity in the United States and the Bahamas can be brought to an end.

The United States Congress can help Haiti by increasing agricultural imports from Haiti, and by existing textile incentives for investment in Haiti.

The major priority for the Obama administration must be to encourage major US investment in the country.

Cuba

Cuba is drifting towards the end of what history might call the Castro era. There are strong voices in both the Republican and Democratic parties that can see no reason to perpetuate the Cuban Trade Embargo and point to Washington’s positive diplomatic relationship with Vietnam as justification for trade with Communist regimes.

The Cuban Trade Embargo is thought to be a useless legacy of the Cold War, argued by some to have be needlessly but emotionally perpetuated by an influential group of Cuban-American leaders.

But whatever the reason for the continued freeze, it is clearly time for new and fresh dialogue with Cuba, if Cuba will concede on issues such as freedom of information and speech, freedom for political prisoners and travel freedom for all Cubans.

The continued incarceration of American Alan Gross in Cuba is symbolic of a backward attitude by Cuba with regard to human rights.

But there will likely be a new generation of leaders in Cuba soon, and the US should encourage them engage in constructive political change for the region’s benefit.

Jamaica

Jamaica does not have Haiti’s extreme poverty or Cuba’s autocratic angst but it does represent a third challenge for Mr Obama’s Caribbean policy makers in his second term.

Jamaica is the Greece of the Caribbean, heavily indebted and currently throttled by a vicious crime wave which sometimes results in 20 homicides per week.

To prevent Jamaica from sliding further, Obama may have to consider a special foreign aid package to help steady the political boat captained by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.

Jamaica has been unable to conclude an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to stabilize its international credit rating, so its economic prospects appear gloomy in the short term.

Jamaica could benefit greatly from a United States recognition of a special Jamaica-United States relationship.

Today, China is playing the role of a political foster parent in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, building major bridges, stadia and roads for its new-found Caribbean friends.

The United States should match China’s strategic outreach in Jamaica and keep it in check before China develops a logistical base in its Caribbean backyard.

An acknowledgment of these issues by the President might yield an integrated Caribbean policy to be administered by new Secretary of State John Kerry.

David P Rowe is an attorney in Jamaica and Florida and a law professor at the University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables, Fla

February 04, 2013

Caribbean Journal

Bahamas Blog International

...celebrating the 54th Anniversary of the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution

Celebrating the triumph of Cuba's revolution

By YURI GALA LOPEZ

I'd like to thank you for joining us in celebrating the 54th Anniversary of the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution, officially commemorated on January 1st. That day in the year 1959 marked a milestone for my homeland because the victory of the revolutionary forces allowed the Cuban people to attain true independence and sovereignty.

Since then, the Cuban people undertook their project of freedom, solidarity and social justice, facing hostility and aggressions of various kinds. The Cuban Revolution has overcome those obstacles and just started its 55th year of existence and counting.

Year 2012 was a very dynamic one for Cuba in many areas. Cuba held elections for its local government structures at the municipal level, a process which was implemented successfully. On February 3, Cubans will go to the polls to vote for provincial delegates and members of Parliament.

Despite the tensions associated with the global economic and financial crisis and other external challenges, the Cuban economy was expected to close year 2012 with a 3.1 per cent growth of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). For 2013, Cuba foresees a 3.7 per cent GDP growth.

The gradual updating of Cuba's economic model continued. Last December, Cuban President Raúl Castro Ruz pointed out that:

"The updating of the Cuban economic model is advancing at a firm pace and it now begins to address major, broader and more complex issues, based on the premise that everything we do is aimed at the preservation and development of a sustainable and prosperous Socialist society, the only guarantee for the independence and national sovereignty achieved by several generations of fellow countrymen in more than 140 years of struggle."

In 2012 Cuba had to face important natural challenges. In October, Hurricane Sandy caused significant losses for my country, mainly in its Eastern region, where Santiago de Cuba, the country's second largest city, was particularly hit. However, the recovery process of the storm-damaged provinces is underway. International solidarity was shown to us in a myriad of ways, something which we deeply appreciate.

Last year, Cuba managed to preserve important social achievements. For example, my country ended 2012 with an infant mortality rate of 4.6 per 1000 live births, the lowest in the Americas. For the fifth consecutive year, Cuba registered a child mortality rate under five, an expression of the human development index. Moreover, the country reported the second lowest maternal mortality rate in its history.

On the other hand, the new migratory measures recently announced by the Cuban Government show its willingness to continue strengthening the relations between the nation and its emigration.

Cuba continues to enjoy an increasing international recognition maintaining diplomatic relations with over 180 countries. We keep receiving the moral support of many governments and peoples of the world in our denunciation of the five-decade old blockade, while solidarity is growing in the case of the five Cuban antiterrorist fighters unjustly imprisoned in the United States.

By the end of this month, Cuba will assume the Pro tempore Presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), a step which entails an immense honour and a great responsibility to which my country will devote the greatest efforts and energies.

In spite of our economic challenges and convinced of the importance of globalising solidarity to build a better world, Cuba has continued to provide its modest cooperation to other sister nations of the South. For example, more than 29,000 youth from 115 countries are now studying in Cuba. Out of those, more than 18,000 scholarship holders come from Latin America and the Caribbean countries.

In December 2012, Cubans together with the Caribbean people again celebrated the Caricom-Cuba Day, but this time was special because we also commemorated the 40th anniversary of the joint decision adopted by four countries, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba.

That brave and historic political decision taken in 1972 by those newly independent countries, in a climate of hostility and enormous pressures, was a breach in the isolation imposed on Cuba and marked the beginning of the close and excellent relations of friendship, solidarity and cooperation that Cuba enjoys today with all CARICOM member States.

The year 2012 was indeed very fruitful for Cuba-Jamaica relations, precisely the year when we celebrated four decades of bilateral diplomacy based on strong friendship, cooperation and solidarity.

More than 200 Jamaicans are studying medicine and other university courses in Cuba under the relevant scholarship programme. In addition to that, over 200 Cubans specialists are part of bilateral cooperation programmes implemented in Jamaica mainly in the fields of health and education.

Last year, the Cuba-Jamaica Ophthalmology Centre, located in Kingston, performed more than 1,400 surgeries. Since 2005 to date, more than 65,000 Jamaicans have been screened under that programme, while more than 9,000 patients have undergone eye surgery free of charge to them.

Both countries continued to exchange high level delegations during 2012. In January, a Cuban delegation headed by His Excellency Esteban Lazo, vice-president of the Council of State, visited Kingston to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Most Hon Portia Simpson Miller as Prime Minister. In December, Jamaica was visited by a Cuban delegation led by parliamentarian Kenia Serrano, President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples.

In the same line, Cuba received the official visit of a delegation headed by the Hon AJ Nicholson, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. Cuba was also visited by other high-level Jamaican delegations, including those led by the Honourable Ministers of Youth and Culture, Health, Science and Technology, and by the Attorney General.

Both countries continued to support each other in international fora. Last October, at the UN General Assembly, the Government of Jamaica (along with 187 countries) supported again the resolution on the necessity of ending the unjust US blockade against Cuba. That position was also shared by the House of Representatives of Jamaica. Cuba deeply appreciates that solidarity. We also thank those Jamaicans who continue to be involved in friendship groups with Cuba.

I'd like you to join me in a toast to the 54th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, and to the further strengthening of the longstanding friendship between the peoples and governments of Jamaica and Cuba.

 

Yuri Gala Lopez is Cuba's Ambassador to Jamaica. The edited speech was delivered at a diplomatic reception on January 16 to mark the 54th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, officially commemorated on January 1.

January 31, 2013

Jamaica Observer

Bahamas Blog International

Business leaders in The Bahamas are urging the Bahamian government to treat the defeated gambling referendum as a learning experience ...for the upcoming oil drilling referendum

Govt urged to tackle oil vote ‘differently’

Analysts say proposed legislation prior to referendum would build consensus, eliminate politics and improve education over exploratory drill

JEFFREY TODD
Guardian Business Editor
jeffrey@nasguard.com
Nassau, The Bahamas

Business leaders are urging the government to treat the gambling issue as a learning experience for the upcoming oil drilling referendum.

While the "Vote No" campaign was victorious on Monday, observers have noted that low turnout and general apathy impacted the democratic process.

The government was frequently criticized for being unclear in the referendum questions and failing to introduce specific legislation to back up the possible legalization of gaming.  The vote also became highly politicized, prompting rival parties to endorse opposing views.

For an upcoming oil drilling referendum, a decision that could indeed reshape the country's economy, the process must be handled "in a completely different way", according to Richard Coulson, a well-known financial consultant.

"The government will need to go to great lengths to explain what the issues are," he told Guardian Business.

"Oil drilling is not a moral or religious issue.   It will be a matter of whether you can explain the economic advantages and technical reasons why the environment can be protected.  If those points can be explained, there should be no rejection."

In the nation's young history, both referendums brought to the people have been strongly rejected.

Coulson said that changes are needed to ensure referendums occur properly without placing the country's future at risk.

On the issue of oil drilling, he urged politicians to arrive at a consensus prior to the vote by crafting a detailed proposal and piece of legislation on how the process would be administered.

Member of Parliament for East Grand Bahama Peter Turnquest agreed that future referendums need parliamentary involvement.

Turnquest said that the current government tried to "push" the idea of gambling on Bahamians, believing that people would simply vote yes.   The former head of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce said specific legislation must go through a "period of education" whereby the public is taken through the process.

"Anything short of that will result in a similar kind of situation," he added.

Indeed, a negative result in regards to oil drilling is the last thing the Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) wants, not to mention its legions of international shareholders.

As Bahamians voted in the gambling referendum, investors in BPC on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) watched keenly and speculated on when a vote on oil exploration could occur.

Shares of BPC ended yesterday's trading at 5.51 pence.  That compares to around 16 pence per share back in February 2012.

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) pledged a referendum on the subject prior to coming into power last May.

At the time, Opposition Leader Perry Christie drew headlines when he confirmed that he was a legal consultant for Davis & Co., the law firm that represented BPC.   Meanwhile, the Free National Movement (FNM) famously revoked BPC’s licences during the election.

These licenses were reinstated by the PLP after coming into power.

It has been speculated that a referendum on oil drilling could occur by the summer, although no formal timeline or process has been announced by government.

January 30, 2013

thenassauguardian

Cuba on the road to Latin American and Caribbean unity

By Livia Rodríguez Delis & Juan Diego Nusa Peñalver

CUBA is to assume the presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) at the next Heads of State and Government Summit of the bloc in Chile, January 27-28.

As Cuban President Raúl Castro affirmed during the closing session of the 7th Legislature of the National Assembly of People's Power, "This is a great honor, a great responsibility, to which we are committed to devoting our best efforts and energy."

It also confirms CELAC member countries’ confidence in Cuba’s principles and values, its wide-reaching foreign policy, its vision of the problems facing humanity and characteristic solidarity, all of which will give new impetus to the bloc’s development and consolidation.

It is also palpable evidence of the failure of the U.S. policy of isolation maintained against Cuba since the triumph of the Revolution in 1959.

Resentful of the expression of unity and solidarity signified by any event of this nature in what it regards as its backyard, Washington has always attempted to block any kind of Cuban relations with the rest of the nations on the continent.

This policy of isolation began to collapse on December 8, 1972, when Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago all established diplomatic relations with Cuba, in an act of unquestionable political courage on the part of these small Caribbean nations.

"If we go back to the 1960’s, Cuba only had diplomatic relations with Mexico (given U.S. pressure) and very few commercial links in the region," noted Deputy Foreign Trade and Investment Minister Orlando Hernández Guillén, approached by Granma International for an overview of the current situation of commercial ties between Cuba and Latin American and Caribbean sister nations.

"After the decisive step in relation to Cuba taken by the four English-speaking Caribbean countries, little by little Latin American nations approached us, some of them utilizing commercial links and others the diplomatic context.  And today, the country has become an active member of the Latin American community."

What does maintaining relations with nations of the region signify for Cuba?

The priority of ties with Latin America is included in the Constitution of the Republic, which establishes that our government bases its international relations on principles of equality of rights, self-determination, territorial integrity, the independence of states, beneficial international cooperation and mutual and equitable interest; as well as the peaceful resolution of controversies on equal footing, and other principles proclaimed in the United Nations Charter and other international treaties to which Cuba is a party.

At the same time, it reaffirms Cuba’s willingness to integrate and cooperate with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, which share a common identity and the historic need to advance together toward economic and political integration in order to achieve genuine independence, something which will allow us to attain the position we merit in the world.

This is endorsed in the Guidelines approved at the 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, which also specify basic aspects of our close ties with Latin America, through the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) and the Association of Caribbean States, among other sub-regional institutions to which Cuba belongs.  These have also provided a space for the development of relations with other countries, with the exception of the Organization of American States (OAS) and its sub-system of institutions.

Currently, Cuba’s foreign trade with the region represents more than 40% of its commercial interchange at the global level.  This places the country in one of the top spots in the region, with regards to the volume of intraregional trade. In this aspect, the relations we have with Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela have an important weight.  In the case of Venezuela, it is our first trading partner, from which we obtain a significant amount of the energy resources the country needs to complement national production.

Even though the Cuban government is developing concrete actions to promote the replacement of food imports, the country still spend $1,700-1,800 million (per year) in this context alone, and Latin America is an important supplier of foodstuffs, basically countries like Brazil and Argentina, which are large global exporters of food and also in the case of Cuba.

In terms of numbers, Cuban exports to Latin America amount to approximately 650 tariff positions within the region.  This is not all that we would like, but it speaks of the development achieved in the last few years through trade, no longer confined to exports of sugar and nickel, which have little weight in the region, but diversified, ranging from services (especially in health) and biotechnology products to construction materials.

In the same way, we import from Latin America raw materials, intermediate products, machinery and equipment, above all from Brazil, whose industry has the capacity to contribute this kind of technological goods.

Through our relations with Latin American countries, today there are also financial resources to support these relations.  We have credit lines with Brazil and Venezuela and these are an important base, not only in the context of trade, but to advance investment and development processes in the country.

For example, the Port of Mariel construction, which is going ahead with Brazilian cooperation and funding and the participation of Brazilian and Cuban entities.  This monumental work is symbolic of Cuba’s cooperation with the region and particularly with that South American nation.

Other financial arrangements and credit lines with distinct characteristics are provided by Venezuela and these are playing a very important role in our economic/commercial activity.

What were the elements that favored the impetus of links with the sub-region?

Relations with Latin America have reached this point because of Cuba’s gradual progress in terms of preferential trade links with virtually all of the ALADI member countries, which created the conditions for the country to become the 12th full member of the largest Latin American economic integration group in 1999.

That made it possible to extend ties with this group of states and negotiate parallel agreements with Central American countries like Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador and nations comprising the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

In some cases these agreements have advanced more and respond to the political circumstances of our bilateral links, as is the case with Venezuela and Bolivia, with which Cuba currently has relations which we could say are equivalent to free trade, as there are no tariffs related to the circulation of merchandise.

We negotiated this in May 2012 with Venezuela and had previously done so with Bolivia.

I must mention that Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines as members comprise the ALBA, a new kind of integration organization which, on the basis of political processes taking place in the region, has made it possible to draw up plans of a far greater reach within the approximation and integration processes among our peoples in the economic, financial, social and cultural spheres.

Thus, Cuba is fully inserted in the Latin American and Caribbean region, and is incorporated in all the area’s coordination and integration structures, apart from the OAS.

How has Cuba been able to resist the hardships of the international financial crisis and, in particular, how has our foreign trade confronted the U.S.  blockade?

We have been able to resist the hardships of the international financial crisis primarily because of our people’s capacity for resistance (the Cuban economy grew 3.1% in 2012) and an intelligent strategy at the point when the situation became more serious and tense; by seeking within the country all possible means of saving, channeling limited resources available into sectors with a capacity to generate income, and limiting imports.

All those who trusted in Cuba at that moment can see that they were fully justified, because as the Cuban economy has confronted the crisis with more success, the tense situations which presented themselves at one point with foreign counterparts have been resolved.

On the other hand, Cuba has been intelligent in terms of confronting the 50-year economic, commercial and financial blockade of the U.S. government, a measure strongly directed in its actions against our country’s financial sector at the international level.

The Obama administration is the one to have imposed the most fines on foreign banking institutions for engaging in normal relations with Cuba and obviously, that means that the country’s way of confronting the blockade has also been more astute and careful.  In this battle we have the support of the international community, which has repeatedly condemned this failed policy in the United Nations and many other forums.

January 25, 2013

In the lead-up to the January 28, 2013 Gambling Referendum in The Bahamas, Dr. Miles Munroe expressed concern that a group of lobbyists were using their monetary influence to pressure the democratically elected government ...to legitimise their personal interests ...at the expense of the Bahamian People

Munroe: Voting Yes Is Electing An Alternative Government

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune242 Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

Nassau, The Bahamas

 

THE gambling referendum that Bahamians are about to entertain could be the election of an alternative government, Dr Miles Munroe said last night to members at Bahamas Faith Ministries International on Carmichael Road.

In the lead-up to the gambling referendum scheduled for January 28, Dr Munroe made a statement to his audience, which was aired live on ZNS TV-13, expressing concern that a group of lobbyists were using their monetary influence to pressure the democratically elected government to legitimise their personal interests at the expense of the people.

“This referendum that we’re about to entertain could be the election of an alternative government.

“You went to the polls some months ago and you elected a government to govern our country. At least that is what it seemed like,” the minister said.

“But I want you to think about this carefully. There should only be one government at a time in our country. There shouldn’t be a secret government, a shadow government, a government pulling strings behind the scenes, a government controlling decisions by lobbying, a government manipulating policy and legislation by monetary influence.”

“We are supposed to have a government that makes decisions without influence from any specific group of people and every decision they make should be made in the best interest of the population of our country,” he said.

Dr Munroe noted that the motivations seemed to be the country’s surrender to the powers with money, which in his words, would make the establishment of a national lottery and state sponsored gambling seem logical.

“National lottery and state sponsored gambling is an alternative government taxing the citizens without benefit to the citizen. In other words, it’s a second government collecting taxes. The only problem is, it is not benefitting the citizens, only a few people,” the minister explained.

Dr Munroe made recommendations for the government that included them admitting that they are not ready for the referendum, accepting responsibility for the populace not being ready, and ultimately postponing the referendum to allow the College of the Bahamas to be engaged in “completing research on the present and future impact of national gaming on our local population”.

“The purpose for a higher learning institution,” he said, “is to assist governments in research efforts in order to make sound decisions that are in the best interest of the people.”

Dr Munroe told his congregation and visual audience that a country could never have a clean government again if it’s government allowed itself to be pressured by the influence of gaming bosses.

“If a small group of lobbyers pressure the government legitimately voted into power to legitimise their personal interest, then we will never have a pure government again,” he said.

Tribune 242

Considerations And Implications Of The Upcoming Gaming Referendum In The Bahamas

Considerations And Implications Of The Upcoming Gaming Referendum

By ANDRE ROLLINS, MP

Bahamas Gaming Board chairman

 

 

 

AS WE go to the polls to decide on whether we will support the regulation and taxation of web shop gaming and/or the establishment of a national lottery, as chairman for the Gaming Board of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, I wish to share the following considerations and implications of the upcoming gaming referendum.

 

Firstly, gaming is either legal or illegal. Some would argue that gaming should be either legal and open to all, or illegal and open to none.

 

Our existing gaming legislation does not support this argument as it gives visitors rights to gamble that are not granted to Bahamians, permanent residents and work permit holders currently residing in the Bahamas.

 

Secondly, we cannot permit any industry to operate outside the purview of the law, and without proper regulation and oversight. Currently a substantial amount of gaming occurs in the Bahamas without proper regulation and oversight.

 

If Bahamians wish to have access to gaming as a form of entertainment it must be understood that it is unacceptable for it to continue in an unregulated manner. The position of this government must be clear: We cannot regulate the sector in part; it must be regulated as a whole.

 

To continue to allow gaming houses in the Bahamas to exist without appropriate regulatory controls creates the potential for the infiltration of and control by criminal entities, which could very easily produce adverse domestic and international consequences.

 

Our nation’s financial regulatory regime and the reporting requirements it imposes on businesses engaged in financial services, cannot be effective if it ignores a large group of businesses which conduct significant financial transactions.

 

This is critical for our country if we wish to maintain our standing as a responsible financial services jurisdiction compliant with international anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism best practices.

 

Our country must be seen to be continuing along a progressive path of reform not just in the eyes of the international community, but also in the eyes of our citizens. The government cannot be perceived as being guilty of engendering a culture where laws are selectively observed and applied; where law enforcement and not justice is blind.

 

The government must be aggressive in bringing all local gaming operations into conformity with the laws governing gaming – laws that promote high standards for participation in the industry by the owners, vendors, employees and patrons of all gaming establishments and which create safeguards to protect the interests of the gaming and non-gaming public alike.

 

Currently, lawful gaming regimes exist throughout the Caribbean in Barbados, Anguilla, St Maarten, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, the US Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, St Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent and Belize.

 

A regional operator with a presence in each of these countries reports that existing underground gaming enterprises existed in all of them before the introduction of lawful regimes and the regulated operations all survived despite concerns that they would be undermined by fears of the impact taxation would have on operator revenue and/or player winnings.

 

The expansion of the Bahamas’ regulatory regime to cover gaming by locals would create a new recurrent revenue stream for the government. To be consistent with the practices of respected gaming jurisdictions around the world, the government must clearly outline “good causes” that would be funded by this voluntary tax.

 

Examples of identified “good causes” in other jurisdictions are: education (schools and scholarships), healthcare, senior citizens, the disabled, youth programmes, arts, culture, historic preservation, sports (Olympics), capital improvements, economic revitalisation programmes, public safety, public transportation and public housing.

 

Should the majority of Bahamians vote no to both questions it will be an expression of the public’s wish to deny Bahamians the right to participate in local gaming except as employees of the hotel-based casinos.

 

Based on the long history of Bahamian participation in games of chance and the recognition that historical legal restrictions precipitated the creation of illegal gaming enterprises, it is inevitable that the demand for such activity will persist beyond January 28 even in the face of a no vote.

 

The difference is that the government will be under greater pressure to use its law enforcement resources to respond to illegal gaming – resources that are scarce and themselves under increasing pressure to address the scourge of violent crime affecting parts of our country.

 

While it has admittedly taken far too long for any government to muster the political will and courage to police this unregulated activity and despite the fact that preparation for this referendum has been an awkward and untidy process, it cannot be argued that 50-plus years is insufficient time to know whether or not something should be regulated or taxed for the benefit of our country and people.

 

The alternative is to yield to the calls to postpone this process and risk perpetuating government that is irresponsible and a society that is ungovernable.

 

January 21, 2013

 

Tribune 242

Bahamas Faith Ministries President Dr. Myles Munroe has recommended to the Constitutional Commission... that:... ...All children born in The Bahamas ...irrespective of their parents' status ...should be offered provisional citizenship ...similar to permanent residency status ...with all rights available to a permanent resident ...up to the age of 18

Munroe wants ‘provisional citizenship’ in constitution

BY ROYSTON JONES Jr.
Guardian Staff Reporter
royston@nasguard.com
Nassau, The Bahamas

All children born in The Bahamas irrespective of their parents' status should be offered provisional citizenship similar to permanent residency status with all rights available to a permanent resident up to the age of 18, Bahamas Faith Ministries President Dr. Myles Munroe has recommended to the Constitutional Commission. 

"Where a child is born in The Bahamas to non-Bahamian parents who reside in The Bahamas, that child is not regarded as a Bahamian citizen," Munroe said. 

"The social impact of this current policy is to deprive a child of any official status or sense of reality of belonging for 18 years of his or her life.

"Moreover, this category of persons must be treated with careful consideration and sensitivity.

"...The social impact of this current policy is that the child does not belong to anywhere for 18 years. The child is stateless, without legal or official status and thus due to the psychological, emotional, physiological and mental disillusionment impacting him or her, the sense of disconnect and lack of loyalty and allegiance breeds contempt. 

"This scenario creates the potential for an antisocial response to the society as a whole."  

Babies born in The Bahamas do not automatically become citizens, but the Bahamas Constitution provides that children born in The Bahamas to non-Bahamians could apply for citizenship on their 18th birthday or within the following 12 months.

Munroe presented the recommendation during a meeting of the Constitutional Commission at British Colonial Hilton hotel yesterday. 

He noted that upon turning 18, the young adult is entitled to apply for a Bahamian passport and be registered as a citizen upon successful completion of a citizenship and allegiance test, and swearing the oath of allegiance. 

The provision remains a controversial one in some circles.

Months before the 2012 general election, Haitian President Michel Martelly told more than 6,000 Haitians and Haitian-Bahamians at the church of God Auditorium on Joe Farrington Road that people born in The Bahamas to Haitians are 'stateless'. 

He lamented the plight of people who have to wait until their 18th birthday to apply for Bahamian citizenship. 

During that same meeting, Martelly urged his countrymen to align themselves with the political party that will best serve their interests.

"So until they are 18 they don't belong to anywhere, and yet they were born here, meaning do I have to tell anyone if you send them back to Haiti they probably don't know anybody or won't recognize the place they land?" said Martelly at a press conference the following day. 

His comments sparked outrage among some Bahamians.

Munroe also recommended that the constitution be amended to eliminate discrimination against women; institute a fixed election date; appoint an independent boundaries commission; provide for a non-partisan commission on citizenship and immigration reform; remove the Privy Council as the final appellate court for final criminal appeals and gradually move away from the British Monarch as the head of state, among other things. 

Former Bahamas Christian Council President Bishop Simeon Hall and Senior Pastor of Grace Community Church Rev. Dr. Rex Major also presented recommendations.

Hall agreed that provisions should be made in the constitution for an independent boundaries commission and for the removal of the Privy Council.

He also said the Senate should be abandoned.

“It seems as if its purpose is merely to give privilege to political supporters at the expense of the Bahamian people,” he said.

“I favor those who believe we have outlived our Westminster system of government and it is time to consider The Bahamas as a republic.” 

The commission is expected to present its recommendations to the government on or before March 31, 2013.

January 18, 2013

thenassauguardian

Guantánamo detention camp: deaths by dryboarding

By Ernesto Carmona, Chilean journalist and writer

IN June of 2006, three prisoners were found dead in the U.S. detention camp on the Guantánamo Naval Base, hanging in their cells from what looked like improvised nooses. Although the Defense Department (DoD) declared "death by suicide," the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) found evidence to the contrary, including the fact that the prisoners’ hands were tied behind their backs. The NCIS evidence suggests that they could have died during fatal interrogation sessions involving the controlled asphyxia technique or dryboarding, a variant of the submarine torture used in countries like Chile during the military dictatorship, which consisted of asphyxiating prisoners by placing a plastic bag over their heads or prolonged immersion with the mouth and nose under water.

The censored NCIS report, validated on November 21, 2011 by the MediaFreedomInternational.org webpage, notes that the Guantánamo Base prison camp has given rise to controversy since it was established as a detention and interrogation center in 2002, described as such by the Bush administration. Guantánamo is Cuban territory illegally occupied by the United States since 1903.

The 2006 NCIS investigation was updated thanks to investigative journalist Almerindo Ojeda, of Truthout, whose extensive work on the NCIS reports poses many questions as to the veracity of the official account presented to the media by U.S. authorities in the Bush era. Much of the NCIS material prompts the following questions:

• Why did the prisoners have their hands tied when they were found hanging in their cells?

• Why were the prisoners gagged with cloth?

• Why did all three prisoners have masks?

• Why was there a bloody T-shirt around the neck of one of the prisoners found hanging in his cell?

• Why is there a page missing from a log book begun on the day the deaths were discovered?

Why were the neck organs (the larynx, the hyoid bone and the thyroid cartilage) removed from one of the corpses?

Ojeda’s analysis also includes statements by a number of guards working in Guantánamo, who stated that had seen the three prisoners transferred to secret detention centers inside the naval base. Later, the prisoners, already dead, were taken to the medical clinic with their throats stuffed with cloth and visible bruises on their bodies.

Qatari national Ali Saleh al-Marri, lawfully resident in the United States, was subjected to dryboarding after being declared an enemy combatant by George W. Bush in 2003, narrowly escaping death at the hands of government interrogators. Connecting the dots between Ali Al-Marri’s interrogation and dry boarding with the NCIS reports on the three Guantánamo prisoners led Ojeda to the conclusion that death by controlled asphyxiation is the most plausible explanation to date and, doubtless, a much stronger one than the official account of suicide by hanging.

The Ojeda report concluded, "In light of the unanswered questions, one thing remains clear: there is a need for a thorough, independent and transparent investigation into the June 10, 2006, deaths at Guantánamo and, more broadly, for a thorough, independent and transparent inquiry into all the practices and policies of detention enacted since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001."

In March 2012, Christof Heyns, UN special rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, acknowledged that he was investigating evidence of autopsies which cast doubt on official explanations of the deaths of Guantánamo prisoners Abdul Rahman al Amri and Mohammad Saleh al Hanashi, both of whom died of suicide, according to the Defense Department, in 2007 and 2009, respectively.

The new details surrounding their deaths, as reported by Truthout, challenges the government account of what took place. The new information was assembled on the basis of autopsy reports on the prisoners and other findings related to their detention conditions in Guantánamo, included in detainee statements and those of their lawyers.

The autopsy reports confirmed that Saudi national Abdul al Amri had been found hanging with his hands tied behind his back, and had been tested after his death for the presence of the controversial drug mefloquine (Lariam). Mefloquine can cause neurotoxic and serious psychiatric side.

In the case of Mohammad al Hanashi, the autopsy examiners stated that they had never seen the actual device (or ligature) by which he was said to have strangled himself to death. The ligature was reportedly made from an elastic underwear band from a pair of white briefs. But news reports indicate that this was not the type of underwear in use at Guantánamo at this time. There was also some question as to whether Al Hanashi had been on suicide watch at the time of his death, as he was not found wearing the requisite "suicide smock" typically used on actively suicidal prisoners, despite the fact he had made five suicide attempts in the four weeks prior to his death. (Mapocho Press)

 

January 10, 2013

 

granma.cu