A dynamic business centre requires a modern, development-focused immigration policy, said Ryan Pinder Friday.

The Ministry’s goal is to work with the Department of Immigration to ensure a progressive immigration policy that protects and facilitates opportunities and mobility for Bahamians, while efficiently meeting the needs of business for occasional foreign talent, he said.

His comments came during Bahamas Financial Services Board’s (BFSB) 10th International Business Finance Summit (IBFS) February 1-3 in Bimini.

“My Ministry understands that every international business center operates with foreign talent and that every center has a rigorous immigration process,” said Pinder. “However, our centre demands a responsive immigration management system that considers domestic development goals.”

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The Bahamas took centre stage during the Super Bowl XLVII yesterday, with a Ministry of Tourism television ad being broadcast to millions of viewers during the commercial break.

Countries do not change their growth trajectories on their own; rather, it takes vision, action, cooperation between the private sector and the government and perhaps, most importantly, leadership, according to Minister of Financial Services Ryan Pinder.

The Minister made the comments during his address to industry leaders at the Bahamas Financial Services Board’s (BFSB) 10th International Business Finance Summit (IBFS) held at Bimini Bay Resort February 1-3.

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Here follows the speaking notes of Senator and Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson at the 10th International Business and Finance Summit at Bimini. She spoke on the topic: “Ease of doing business” in the jurisdiction and practical developments underway to improve the ease of doing business:

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Senior vice president and manager of Coral Towers at Atlantis Paradise Island Stuart Bowe picked up the Hotelier of the Year 2013 Award at the recent Cacique Awards. Watch an interview with Bowe here.

The Cacique Awards were held recently to recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to the tourism industry in The Bahamas. Watch a report on the event here.

More than 75 per cent of the $53-million dollar Critical Care Block construction project at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau has been completed and is expected to have more than $20 million in new medical equipment installed over the next four months.

Critical Care Block under construction at PMH. (Photos courtesy PMH)

The multi-million dollar project, which is being funded by RBC Royal Bank, is due to be complete by July 2013.

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Yasuo Takase, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, presented his Letters of Credence to Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes at Government House January 31, 2013.

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A resolution was tabled and passed in the House of Assembly January 30 to secure a government guarantee for a $250-million private placement in the international financial markets by the Bahamas Electricity Corp (BEC), as it seeks to restructure its debt portfolio.

Moving the resolution was Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis (pictured), who pointed out that the government guaranteed $211 million of the debt on October 20, 2009, with an additional $35 million borrowed on the August 27, 2012.

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Attorney-General Allyson Maynard Gibson said today that the financial services industry in The Bahamas is “a key tool for national development” and stressed that the legal profession must strike a balance between disclosure and client confidentiality—or legal professional privilege—in meeting the requirements of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The Bahamas is currently undergoing the Phase 2 Peer Review of the OECD, which examines the country’s legal and regulatory framework and determines whether it meets OECD standards in transparency and disclosure of tax information.

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