Flipping Grand Bahama

So, it's been five days since the general elections in The Bahamas and great revelations all over the country. How does a country feel about the people they have elected to power at any point in time? Will a people unify to tell someone they don't want them? The landslide victory for the Free National Movement was a surprise for many. For some, it was a delight to see their party win by such a huge margin. But there are some who worry that such a large margin is a cause for grave concern that without a proper and good opposition, tyranny can ensue. There was a prediction that the FNM would win and then there would be a riot. But, we know the people of this country are not particularly violent in numbers unless greatly provoked. We have not seen any rising up for years and certainly not over elections since the early days. What does it all mean for Grand Bahama and Freeport in Particular? So one has adequately addressed the changes brought on by the recent amendmen...

The Grand Bahama Port Authority is really going all out this year as they are not only hoping to bring in investors but also to create more investors/entrepreneurs at home.  This is a very favourable turn of events with the new Business Development Department. This conference would be the third event launched by the Port this year, the first being the My Grand Bahama Campaign, then the Customer Service Workshop and now the Economic Empowerment Development Conference.  As the world turns and the seasons for each place, especially Grand Bahama, is just about complete with its valley times for now, we are moving closer to the mountain and looking forward to some mountain top experiences. Here it's about setting a stage for all players to be ready. Grand Bahama will flourish with more residents. But for more residents, we need more money making reasons for people to travel and to live here.  If, for those who believe in Bahamians only, we cannot organi...

When this blog began, the purpose was to get the people of this island into that positive mindset to make all the necessary changes. One of those changes that were so badly needed was to offer better customer service and just recently the Grand Bahama Port Authority has taken up an initiative that is putting us on a great new path. First, through the Business Development Department a customer service training programme was offered to students in the schools to start this project off right. The next generation should have it down pact by the time they are meeting and greeting their customers. Then to give ownership to the project they offered the community a buy in and then introduced the My Grand Bahama Project which was introduced last week. To put the icing on the cake they are now offering customer service training to the public. Well this writer can tell you through listening to some of the things that are being said, and the messages people are leaving with, this island is ...

Again its been a while but there has been a lot going on in Grand Bahama. Positive vibes to all out there making it work for themselves and their communities. Realizing that elections are coming up next year, so far this year has seen a lot of things happen just in time to show off for the politicians. My feelings..... as long as things happen it doesn't matter who does it. So the long-awaited fire station is almost finished and ready for occupation. The Sir Jack Hayward Bridge is up and open and looking good; gives good visage as well. Road Traffic and the Grand Bahama Port Authority Ltd's have come together to try to curb speeding by implementing roundabouts and a video has been created to teach motorist how to use them properly. In the works, the causeway to replace the Fishing Hole Road is finally under way; more expansions at the Freeport Harbour; Lucayan Grand is reportedly sold; dormitories are being built for the College of The Bahama; new facilities for t...

E-commerce, something that has been talked about for years, is finally being upped for the business licensees of the Grand Bahama Port Authority. The Port announced plans for an E-business initiative between them and the Bank of The Bahamas which aims to equip local businesses with basic tools to expand their customer reach and increate prospects for greater success. Now the customer bases is not just local, but global. Yes investors are welcomed to bring new one more business, but for those at home needing more of an audience has found their way into the stream that opens them to billions of consumers. The theme for the training is called "Revolutionise Your Business with E-Commerce" and is focused on the virtual environment, and how local businesses can capitalise on its advantages. Attendees will experience a full day covering day topics including the acceptance of e-payment. Training has been set for Wednesday April 20th and Thu...

The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA), announced plans for an E-Business initiative, which aims to equip local businesses with basic tools to expand their customer reach, and increase prospects for greater success. This initiative works out to be a workshop that will be held tomorrow at the Canal House, Pelican Bay Resort. As its theme suggests, “Revolutionize Your Business with E-Commerce” the training will focus on the virtual environment, and how local businesses can capitalize on its advantages. Attendees will experience a full day covering key topics including the acceptance of e-payments. During a press conference to announce the training, Derek Newbold, Senior Manager of Business Development and Invest Grand Bahama  said that statistics has shown that a significant amount of consumers will research options online prior to conducting a purchase. He went on to say, “This means…if you don’t have an online presence, chances are these consumers are doing ...

Well... there is quite a bit going on in Grand Bahama and many announcements being made. Last week there were several announcements but today we will talk about PharmaChem. According to their release, "this new state-of-the-art facility, supported by Gilead Sciences Inc., will provide life saving drugs. The site on West Sunrise Highway was acquired by Mr. Pietro Stefanutti in 2002, and during the ground breaking he said the time has come to take another step ensuring that PharmaChem is a viable and sustainable operation for years to come. This expansion is said to be costing $130m, and also it is expected to generate an economic impact on Grand Bahama's economy of about $40-$50 million resulting in over 100 contractors being employed on the project. In an overview of the partnership with Gilead Sciences, Stefanutti said that in 2003, a non disclosing agreement was signed between the companies to determine to path for the manufacturing of an HIV compound on the...

It was great yesterday when I came across this wonderful little encouragement... volunteers needed said the sender and it was right up my alley although not on the day I would like.... The  I Love Freeport group from the Grand Bahama Port Authority is behind this great venture ... and just when some people wanted to know what could they do. This icon in Grand Bahama still holds a lot of great memories for many people here in abroad and I guess it's the  time to give back and to recreate. This is not the first time the Grand Bahama Port Authority has put an effort into reviving the International Bazaar.. that last was in allowing persons interested in renting shop space here to have their license free for a year... a great deal. Maybe it will come back again and more persons would take advantage ... This venture excites the Save the Bazaar team and we can't wait to see what will happen next for this grand...

The photo selected says that there are possibilities all around. Something to look forward to. The last post ... Carey Leonard's admonition to get going ... same theme of this blog... got the attention of a resident of Grand Bahama who called and said they are willing to do anything to help. Well... that's a great way to start and it's what Flipping Grand Bahama is all about. This blog began almost three years ago with the thought of simply changing the mindset of the people here that would ultimately change the attitude and the outcome for and in Grand Bahama. What can we do? We can wake up to the fact that the Grand Bahama Port Authority is not what it once was. We have the ability to form a proper Licencee Association and work on making business better for all in Grand Bahama... not just Freeport. We can work together on projects that would enhance the island and to give more value to the tourism/banking/networking communities and the economy of the...

REMARKS MADE BY CAREY LEONARD AT THE ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND BAHAMA SUNRISE HELD AT “GENEVA’S RESTAURANT” WEDNESDAY, 17 TH FEBRUARY 2016 “Mister President, Rotary members and guests, let’s get Freeport to work” I say that because the future of the Port Area, the future economic impact that the Port Area has on East and West Grand Bahama, the future of Grand Bahama as a whole, is in your hands. “Not my hands,” you say.  To which I reply, “Yes, your hands and mine too”.  This is the year 2016 and it does not, in any way resemble the years 1991 -1993, the years when the Hawksbill Creek Agreement was last extended. 2016 is different in so many areas of our economy, not just of the Port Area and the rest of Grand Bahama, but that of the entire Bahamas. According to the latest news reports, unemployment is running at a staggering 15.7% and it is even higher in the Country’s most populous island, New Providence. In 1993 the unemployment rate was 13.1%. The Nationa...

No the year is not over but I wonder what is going on in this island. All good I must add, but unexpected and it makes me wonder if Grand Bahama is getting ready for new owners of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, new investors or just a brighter Christmas. Over the past year we have been watching to work on the new bridge to the east connecting once again the Grand Bahama Highway over the waterway. It looks like this bridge will be ready for Christmas.  This would have taken a lot of change for the Grand Bahama Development Company. We have seen the creation of one round about on the East Sunrise Highway and another one in the middle of being created and should also be ready for Christmas. Maybe I'm just Christmas centric. It could be the Texan and Chinese investors coming to Grand Bahama during this month that we are trying to impress to get more investors in the island. Whatever the reason, the island is lookin...

Sixty years after the signing of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, the original signatories are dead. The man with the vision for Freeport was the first to go and apparently his vision with him. It was a vision for a thriving community based on the Hawksbill Creek and the formation of a harbour. As was the rush for gold there was a rush to this island during 1950s to 70s of people looking for another home that offered an ability to make a new life for their families. This was short lived and many had to return to homes they were hoping to forget or other places where there communities were more welcoming. During the first ten years of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, the Government of The Bahamas kept a keen eye on what the Grand Bahama Port Authority was doing and made several demands in writing to steer the ship not only for a better Freeport, but a better Bahamas. After 1965, there seems to be a lack to Government involvement in the public arena until 1993 when a new amendment ...

After the change in Government in 1967 there were no more reviews of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement. There seemed to have been a disconnect with the Government and the Grand Bahama Port Authority. The tax concessions of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement were to come to a close in 1990 and was put off to 1992, and then because the new Free National Movement Government was not aware of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement and its finer points, decision on what to do was put off for a year while town hall meetings were held throughout Grand Bahama. Some said let the Port go away while others said make the extension because the economy in Grand Bahama was not what was expected when the agreement was drafted. However in July the 1993 the Act was looked at and instead of an amendment the Act dealt with the continuation of exemptions from real property tax for a period of another twenty-two years. (This year but again instead of making a definitive answer before August, it was put off for another...

So yesterday be began the series on the various promises made to the Government of The Bahamas made by Grand Bahama Port Authority. Today we are on to the second set of amendments in which there were some word changes, phrase changes and stating that Customs Duties would apply to homes when resold without bond. This was was signed by  His Excellency Sir Oswald Raynor Arthur, K.C.M.G, C.V.O, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Bahama Islands on behalf of the government and the Grand Bahama Port Authority. It further spoke to allowing the Broadcasting and Television Commission being allowed to come in and operate in the Port Area; that the Government will ensure the Port Area is served by aviation facilities for all purposes. Here it asked that the Port Authority has to state in writing to the Government everything it was doing. This amendment ended with more clarification on the allowance of Local Government in the Freeport area and their responsibilities. In...

Yesterday the Hawksbill Creek Agreement was signed 60 years ago in Freeport Grand Bahama and is found in Chapters 261-265 & 30 of Statute Laws of The Bahamas. How is this being celebrated? I guess its not much of a mile stone because there seems to be no big hoopla. I'm told that the Grand Bahama Port Authority which came from the HCA is celebrating with cake and champagne for customers/clients who come in. But 60 years ago the agreement began with the words was, "An act to authorize the entering into of an agreement with a company to be incorporated in the Colony  by Wallace Groves for the dredging of a deep water harbour and the establishment of an industrial area at an in the vicinity of Hawksbill Creek, Grand Bahama. It was signed by His Excellency The Right Honourable The Earl of Ranfurly Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over The Bahama Island, and the Grand Bahama Port Authority, a company incorporated under the laws of The Bahama Islands. At that time ...

The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA) has announced that it will launch a Customer Service Training initiative, commencing with mandatory sessions for all GBPA Group personnel, followed by external training for Licencees. The customer focused training is an initiative of GBPA’s Invest Grand Bahama Small Business Bureau (IGBSBB), and is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.  According to President Ian Rolle, the training is comprised of two segments, internal and external. “The first segment which is internal, will address how we as a group interact with our customers; meaning Licencees, utility customers and property owners as well. The second segment, taking place on April 15 th  and 16 th  will focus on businesses and how Licencees interact with patrons; meaning local customers as well as visiting guest s  and tourists.” Rolle said. He added that the need for this initiative was also highlighted by the increased number of service complaints by loc...

Yesterday the Grand Bahama Port Authority on the present tourism news and its affects on the local economy: Increased Tourism Activity Boosting Local Economy Saturday, 21 st  March, 2015 – Freeport Grand Bahama -  Bustling with a diverse demographic of clientele, Port Lucaya has seen an inflow of one-day cruise ship passengers, spring breakers making the most of their college holiday experience, as well as families enjoying the amenities of surrounding hotels. Needless to say, this bodes well not only for the marketplace and its tenants, but for residents and businesses of the island at large. According to local tour operators, the New Year has brought increased tour activity as a result of the high occupancy levels at surrounding hotels and the influx of cruise and flight passengers.  Local businessman and recipient of Carnival Cruise Line’s Tour Operator of the Year Award, Hadley Forbes, expressed his enthusiasm on the upswing of guest arrivals. “Free...