Summit of the Americas, scheduled for April 12-13, 2018 in Lima, Peru.

The CEO Summit, which will precede the two-day 8th Summit of the Americas attracts leading CEOs and heads of state from the region to analyze opportunities to promote economic growth and investment through public-private interaction under the Americas Business Dialogue mechanism.

The Americas Business Dialogue mechanism is a private-sector driven initiative facilitated by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) intended to foster a high-level and open policy dialogue among the most important business leaders on the region’s priorities, challenges and opportunities for social and economic development.

Summit will be held under the theme “Democratic Governance Against Corruption.”

Members of FxPro Group paid a courtesy call on Brent Symonette, Minister of Financial Services, Trade & Industry and Immigration at the Ministry March 26, 2018.

Cloud Carib, a provider of managed cloud and ICT services headquartered in The Bahamas, has announced its expansion into Latin America with the opening of a new CaribPod, or data centre, in Ecuador.

The CaribPod in Ecuador is a Tier 4 facility from which Cloud Carib will provide managed cloud and ICT services to regional businesses and government agencies.

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The government of The Bahamas intends to make provisions in the new budget year for substantial expansion in capital investment to bring the country’s national infrastructure up to standard.

The new budget year begins July 1, 2018.

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Pictured: Minister of State Kwasi Thompson delivers remarks to Baltimore Chamber of Commerce delegates March 7. (Photo courtesy BIS)

Kwasi Thompson, Minister of State for Grand Bahama, and Edison Sumner, CEO of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC), led a delegation of Bahamian public and private sector officials on a trade mission to the Washington DC and Baltimore area of the US March 5-7, 2018.

The trade mission explored the promotion of collaborative business links, both at the national and state level in the DC and Maryland area, so as to enhance the prospects for Bahamian trade and investment with the Washington DC area.

This was accomplished through the provision of opportunities for high-level and sector specific dialogue, networking and matchmaking.

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While the Caribbean has long been a celebrated destination among US and European travellers, new data from the Expedia group reveals a rising demand for intra-Caribbean travel.

Based on data for flights occurring between January 1, 2017-December 31, 2017 compared to the same timeframe in 2016, Expedia group reports a 15 per cent increase in ticket demand for travel from Caribbean origins to a Caribbean destination, approximately three times the growth rate of international inbound travel.

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Nassau Airport Development Co (NAD) has reported that air arrivals at Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) during December 2017 and January 2018 were the highest in the company’s 11-year history of managing the facility and exceeded pre-recession travel levels for the first time in a decade.

Some 151,454 passengers landed at LPIA in December, 140,314 in January, the largest numbers since the pre-recession holidays of 2007/2008. December’s increase was the highest in a single month, up nearly 15,000 over the second-best year a decade earlier.

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Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis addressed Parliament 20 March 2018 during the House of Assembly debate on the Mid-year Budget.

Read the Prime Minister’s address here:

Mr. Speaker:
I rise today to make my contribution to the debate on the 2017/18 Mid-Year Budget Performance Statement.

I do so on behalf of the wonderful people of Killarney, whom I have the privilege of serving in this chamber.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest said the European Union (EU) Code of Conduct Group (COCG) has set compliance criteria for jurisdictions, including The Bahamas, to follow.

DPM Turnquest addressed financial industry officials on the EU Finance Ministers’ decision at their regular monthly meeting 13 March 2018 to discuss the decision from the Council of the EU to include The Bahamas on the list of non co-operative jurisdictions for tax purposes.

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New bridges, new schools, roadworks, and repair and construction of seawalls are among the “critical” projects that the government will focus on in the upcoming year, according to Minister of Public Works Desmond Bannister’s contribution to the Mid-Term Budget Debate March 19, 2018.

Minister Bannister said there is much to be done in the Family Islands and his Ministry “eagerly” embraces the challenge.

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