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FORMER Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest has criticised as discriminatory a provision in a new Bill that would prevent foreigners from engaging in commercial fishing in The Bahamas.
Mr Turnquest’s comment in the House of Assembly yesterday followed the contribution of Marco City MP Michael Pintard concerning the new Fisheries Bill 2020, which will replace the Fisheries Resources (Jurisdiction and Conservation) Act, 1977 when passed.
A key provision of the bill says: “No person shall engage in fishing, or be employed on a commercial fishing vessel for fishing other than sport fishing in the fisheries waters; and use or be employed on a commercial fishing vessel licenced under this act for fishing other than charter sport fishing, unless that person is a citizen of The Bahamas.”
Kwasi Thompson. (FILE PHOTO)
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr Hubert Minnis will table the 2020 Fiscal Strategy Report (FSR) during Wednesday’s sitting of the House of Assembly, according to a Ministry of Finance statement issued yesterday.
The statement noted the government is usually required to present the FSR in the House of Assembly by the third Wednesday in November, but that “given the unprecedented times, the government decided to take extra diligence in crafting its strategies, making use of the most current fiscal information about the planned reopening of tourism in November to inform critical policy deliberations about the FSR”.
(PHOTO: CAYMANCOMPASS)
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Baha Mar President Graeme Davis yesterday encouraged the government to do its part and “act fairly” toward Baha Mar employees over National Insurance Board (NIB) unemployment benefits, which numerous employees have reported not receiving in many weeks.
Davis, who appeared as a guest on ILTV’s Beyond The Headlines with host Clint Watson, said he would like for Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to intervene on the matter.
“Look, I understand the government’s perspective, but clearly we have been making ex gratia payments since we closed the resort on March 25. We made a commitment to all of our associates that we would pay an ex gratia payment, a significant percentage of their salary, while we have been closed throughout the summer; through the extensions of the unemployment benefits, right up to where we are today we are paying ex gratia payments to all of our associates.”