Neil Hartnell

A now-Cabinet minister last year warned a US investor he was “in direct contravention of Bahamian law” through his involvement with a Briland tourism operator doing business in an industry exclusively reserved for 100 percent local ownership only.

Bahamian motorists face having to pre-pay for their vehicle’s annual inspection, and fines if they fail to renew its licence and registration on time, as part of the Government’s drive to boost road safety and compliance with a “modernised” traffic regime.

A senior hotelier yesterday conceded that “more consistent progress in a timely fashion” is needed to crackdown on rogue jet ski operators while also acknowledging that the body charged with overseeing this effort needs to meet more frequently.

Regulators have rejected a renewable energy provider’s argument that it should be exempted from requirements to obtain a licence under the Natural Gas Act because it will only use liquefied natural gas (LNG) to generate power from its own facilities.

Realtors yesterday confirmed they have recommended the Government correct “inconsistencies” with its real property tax reforms that could result in Bahamians being taxed at a higher rate than their foreign owner counterparts.

Auto dealers yesterday revealed they have been blindsided by legal reforms that threaten to create “more and more bureaucracy” by changing how vehicle imports are cleared when they arrive in The Bahamas.

The Opposition’s finance spokesman yesterday blasted the Government’s “tardy” last-minute bid to obtain Parliamentary approval for an extra $250m spending in the current 2025-2026 Budget year.

Total compensation paid to the Bahamian civil service will breach the $1bn mark for the first time in the upcoming 2026-2027 fiscal period, it has been revealed, with its ranks having expanded by 2,342 persons over the past four years.

A South Andros resort developer well-known internationally through his starring role in an HGTV series yesterday stressed the area faces a “real horse and cart and chicken and egg situation” as he warned that land title woes are deterring fresh investment.

The Government’s aviation chief yesterday promised long-suffering Mangrove Cay residents they will enjoy an improved airport “by the end of 2027” amid complaints they and visiting tourists have been “forced to go back in time” over airlift connectivity woes.