The Bahamas Investor

...and tools were allowing traders to chart and analyse the markets from the comfort of their own homes, or on the nearest tropical beach. The dotcom bubble No matter how beautiful and sunny your surroundings are however, your mood will rapidly darken if you are losing money. It is important to keep your head, particularly when all around you are losing theirs. Many new traders fell afoul of inexperience during one of the largest bubbles to affect t......

...market and allow these people the ability to come to Bimini, whether they come for the day or stay overnight. It’s an untapped market for us to reach. The ferry gives us that ability, in addition to our traditional air travelers.” Repositioning Bimini We have the sea, the sand, the sun and the proximity to the South Florida coast. We are the best secret out there today. But we are going to let the secret be known,” says developer Gerardo Capo, wh......

...o. “The Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association member hotels have been busy preparing for the Marketplace, with hundreds of appointments being scheduled with buyers–including tour operators, wholesalers, online intermediaries and niche and vertical marketing companies,” said Bowe. “Through our promotion boards and in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, pre and post trips for the press and buyers to Grand Bahama and the Family Islands have bee......

...murmurings of a possible collaboration since 2001. But it took three years for a formal meeting to be held and for the respective groups to realize that a combined organization would be beneficial to both entities. “Both organizations felt it would be strategic to pool their resources to become a more unified and stronger voice for the private sector, and to help improve [the organizations’] weak institutional capacities brought on by high debts,......

...wer. The two systems would also act as back-up for each other. The Abacos, for example, average seven hours of sunlight a day, while also experiencing trade winds that blow, says Schneider, “well above the 25 per cent of the time that you need for wind power. The turbines turn even in a gentle breeze—it’s not about wind speed, but wind constancy, and the trade winds make The Bahamas very predictable.” A kilowatt-hour (kWh) of wind-generated electr......

...acht; for some the next step may be to have their own island.” Johnny Depp for example reportedly paid $3.6 million for Little Hall’s Pond Cay, a 35-acre island in the Exumas, while filming Pirates of the Caribbean in 2004. At the high end, islands such as Bird Cay, in the Berry Islands, run to $28 million, whereas Children’s Bay Cay in the Exumas has an upcoming luxury development with 14 parcel lots ranging from 5.5 to 16 acres at about $1 milli......

...ing when others are avidly buying;” which, he concluded, “requires the greatest fortitude and pays the greatest ultimate rewards.” There is no doubt truth to this claim, as Sir John’s record bears out, yet there is also a risk of over-simplification. As Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing, pointed out: “The fact that other people either agree or disagree with you makes you neither right nor wrong. You will be right if your facts and rea......

...The Prime Minister said: “Our target is to circulate the draft legislation for VAT by the second quarter of the next fiscal year. With the introduction of VAT, along with the reduction in other taxes set out in the White Paper, we expect a net 2.2 percentage points of GDP improvement to recurrent revenue annually.” He also said that the government is committed to wide-ranging reforms of the property tax administrative system that will add one per......

...ate in Nassau, the company seems intent on making a high-quality rum — not simply a tourist attraction. And the early results were good — we tried the Amber variety, which is aged for up to three years, and called it a “very, very solid rum.” What we didn’t try was the distillery’s top-shelf stuff — John Watling’s Buena Vista Rum. That changed, however, on a recent trip to the Bahamas, where we obtained a bottle. The Buena Vista rum is distilled i......

...s to expand and diversify different sectors, perhaps the maritime industry for example, to generate more growth, which I think is currently being considered.” Work-life balance A widow, with two sons aged 18 and nine, Russell says that finding that all elusive work-life balance is the hardest part of her job. Since the sudden passing of her husband almost five years ago, Russell must now be everything to her sons which she says, makes it challengi......

...nce Zhivargo Laing saying he believed the economy could grow by 1 per cent simply by improving standards and achieving “service excellence”. Vaughn Roberts, vice president of corporate finance and treasury at Baha Mar, said he would like to see “a culture where there is a national commitment to service” and said the new $3.5 billion Baha Mar development in Cable Beach, combined with the expansion of the international airport, which are both expect......

...e environment,” he said. “With the understanding that change does not come by simply spending more money, we are embarking on a multi-faceted response that places consistent emphasis on the creation of sustainable jobs,” he said. “It is a challenge to ensure that economic growth is compatible with sustainable development and that our ecosystems are not sacrificed for immediate economic gains.” Minister Dorsett told the participants that they were......

...which is on the market for just under $3 million, was originally laid out for development by its owner 20 years ago. The land was divided into lots and a runway was constructed. The cay boasts cove beaches and protected waterfront lots that would support docking. Goat Cay Smaller than most of the cays on offer, 21.96-acre Goat Cay is the ideal location for a private home. The $1-million island has beautiful views thanks to its elevation, which ri......

...back to The Bahamas. “All of our core business [in The Bahamas] is driven by the international community. An understanding of the international context is absolutely critical.” In 2001 Cooper joined British American Insurance as vice president of financial services and investment and, four years later, became the company’s CEO and president. “It was an opportunity I could not refuse–to develop a financial services and investment business where it......

...nstruction costs to complete the project, and a contract has been executed for CCA to complete the project.” Christie last month announced an agreement between the government and EXIM Bank under which Baha Mar will be completed and sold to an unnamed operator. The pact was approved by the Bahamas Supreme Court, which then sealed the documents. “For legal reasons, I am not at liberty at this stage to formally disclose the name of the ultimate purch......