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Opinions Last Updated: Mar 15, 2021 - 9:45:23 AM
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Vaccine Maitri: Together We Emerge Stronger - Mar 15, 2021 - 8:30:17 AM

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It was on 15th March 2020 that the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the Bahamas. More than a year has elapsed, and the pandemic shows no signs of abating. The situation is no better in most countries of the world. Out of the few known ways to combat the coronavirus is the COVID-19 vaccine, developed simultaneously by many companies and countries across the world.

It was a matter of great honour to watch a consignment of 20,000 ‘Made in India’ WHO approved COVISHIELD vaccine doses landing at the Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport on 10th March 2021...
Opinions
Opinion - COVID-19 Pandemic: India’s response and global strategy - Aug 8, 2020 - 7:43:28 AM

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Coronavirus cases are nearing 20 million globally with around 8,00,000 deaths. Hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 cases are still being reported daily from all corners of the world including from the Caribbean region and South Asia, despite the best efforts of countries to curb this pandemic.

India’s response to COVID-19 has been timely, effective, and comprehensive. Contrary to the perception that India has a high cumulative figure of COVID cases, the ratio of positive cases and deaths per million remain much lower to the global average...
Opinions
Opinion Editorial: COVID-19 Highlights Caribbean Community’s need to build resilience - Apr 30, 2020 - 10:55:39 AM

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As all CARICOM Member States and Associate States now have confirmed COVID-19 cases and, as predictions indicate that cases will continue to rise globally, humanity’s vulnerability and that of the systems we utilise, are again being highlighted. When we think of resilience in the Caribbean Community, we tend to think of the natural hazards we often face: tropical storms and hurricanes, earthquakes and threats of volcanic eruptions; indeed, the Caribbean is often referred to as the second most disaster-prone area, in the world...
Opinions
Opinion: We must leverage the ‘Commonwealth Advantage’ to counter the economic fallout of COVID-19 - Apr 23, 2020 - 11:19:53 AM

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The world is bracing for a massive hit to the global economy in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Experts have warned of a US$1-2 trillion shortfall in global income this year, while world trade could contract by between 13 and 32 per cent.

As countries take drastic measures to fight the spread of the disease, we are seeing borders and businesses closed, domestic and international travel scaled back, and a totally transformed way of life due to social distancing...
Opinions
Opinion: Coronavirus and climate disasters - Small vulnerable countries face dual threats - Apr 18, 2020 - 11:57:57 AM


The widespread destruction wreaked by Tropical Cyclone Harold in several Pacific countries just days ago has been nothing short of heart-breaking. At least 32 people have died, while more than 45,000 men, women and children in Vanuatu’s hardest-hit province, Sanma, are now homeless. In Tonga, hundreds of businesses and homes were gutted, while Fiji has recorded more than US$20 million worth of damage to crops, raising fears around food security...
Opinions
Opinion: We should not go back to business as usual after COVID-19 - Apr 7, 2020 - 10:39:57 PM

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Today there is an eerie silence across the globe. Bustling cities have gone quiet and highways that were once jammed with bumper to bumper traffic, are empty. In homes, thousands of families are anxiously awaiting a phone call from a hospital about their loved ones. Many have already received the devastating news that their mother, father, child, spouse, sibling or friend has died from coronavirus complications - often without the comfort of someone familiar to hold their hands...
Opinions
Opinion: Extreme events are reversing development goals - Jan 9, 2020 - 10:19:36 AM

Cyclones in the Caribbean and Pacific, devastating bushfires in Australia, recurrent floods and droughts in Asia and Africa, increasingly bring tragic loss of life to our nations and communities, inflicting physical and mental trauma on survivors, and causing irreparable damage to centuries old ways of life and undermining prospects for future prosperity and growth.

The current bushfires in Australia have been among the most distressing manifestations, leading the government to declare a state of emergency...
Opinions
Opinion: Young people need our support - we must seize this tremendous opportunity - Nov 5, 2019 - 8:20:46 AM

Our world seems to be changing faster than ever – technologically, environmentally, socially – and in so many other ways. It is hard for any of us to keep up with the astonishing pace and scale of developments, and their impact for better or for worse on our own lives and the ways in which they affect the future of our planet.

Yet too often it seems that those with the greatest stake in the future, are least empowered to shape it: young people. This is something the Commonwealth has for more than 50 years been working hard to change...
Opinions
Opinion: Access to justice for all is not yet a reality – but there are ways forward - Nov 1, 2019 - 9:30:07 AM

Access to justice for everyone in all communities is an important right and requirement for building fair and peaceful societies – yet this objective has been achieved in few if any nations, and the consequences are damaging for social, economic and political progress and stability.

Studies indicate that of the 1.4 billion people who for whatever reason in the past two years felt the need for recourse to law, less than half have had their justice needs met...
Opinions
Opinion: The world must not sleep-walk into another debt crisis - Oct 16, 2019 - 3:00:32 PM

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Trade wars, protectionism, and nationalist rhetoric are combining to weave the possibility of a nightmare debt crisis that could be worse than any previously experienced. Global borrowing is now at the highest levels since the 1950s – and history suggests we should take this as a warning that a debt crisis could be looming.

Were one to materialise, it could inflict greater dislocation on international financial systems and national economic stability than ever previously witnessed, especially in this highly uncertain environment characterised by the trade war and regional disintegration...
Opinions
Nicolette Bethel on Immigration - Oct 13, 2019 - 12:21:40 PM

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Much has been said of late about immigrants, especially illegal ones. By "illegal immigrants", by the way, we really mean people who come here on boats, not jets, people who sail here from the south, not the north, and people who speak a different language and who worship a different way from us.

In other words, we mean Haitians. Or Jamaicans, if we're feeling really expansive.

Send them home, we say. Even those who were here all their lives. Even those who were born here. If they illegal, they gattie go. We're a small country, after all.
Opinions
Appeal to US Govt for Work Visas for Bahamians - Oct 4, 2019 - 1:56:35 PM

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The news about a Category-5 hurricane transiting The Bahamas has received widespread and worldwide media coverage. Dorian was the most powerful and destructive storm ever to hit the region, with 20-foot-high wave surges, and wind gusts up to 220 miles per hour. Most news reports failed to take note of the unprecedented, compassionate response of the President and his administration in providing relief supplies and medical care, as well as the full force of the US military, to the hardest-hit areas. Nor did they address other matters of immediate concern to American businesses and government officials...
Opinions
Table revised Fiscal Responsibility Bill before summer recess - Jul 11, 2018 - 12:46:10 PM

“The implementation of the Fiscal Responsibility Bill should be treated with at least the same level of urgency as the short-notice imposition of the VAT increase.” These are the sentiments of The Organization for Responsible Governance, which is pushing for the drafted Fiscal Responsibility Bill (FRB) to be tabled and debated ahead of the customary parliamentary summer recess.

Opinions
Kreimild Saunders: Carnival Controversies - May 29, 2018 - 9:50:01 AM

The very founding of carnival in the Bahamas was froth with controversies.  A central controversy was the privileging of a foreign festival rather than promoting our indigenous festival, Junkanoo, that has not been able to sustain itself privately. 

It is estimated that between 2015 and 2017 the Christie administration spent over 20 million dollars subsidizing carnival events with cost over-run (especially in the inaugural event). There was a backlash from Junkanooers and the political opposition (FNM). Carnivals are big business...
Opinions
Former M.P. Pierre Dupuch comments on rumours of an FNM Coup. - Apr 9, 2018 - 12:08:21 PM

A short while ago it was said that I was starting and spreading rumours about Hubert Ingraham being a part of a coup to challenge Dr. Hubert Minnis for leadership.

For Hubert Ingraham to believe that, he must be living in a fool's world, and suffering from delusions of grandeur to think that I would have the time or interest in starting any rumours about him. I was merely commenting on a rumour about a possible vote of no confidence in Dr. Minnis and him being replaced as Prime Minister...
Opinions
Dr. Bethel: The Oban Debacle - Mar 27, 2018 - 11:09:41 PM

The “ceremonial signing," 19th February 2018, of Heads of Agreement (HOA) between the Government of Bahamas (GOB) and Oban Energies, has become a public relations fiasco for the GOB and a potential environmental disaster for the island of Grand Bahama.

Many details and concerns about the process and terms of the HOA have been covered by the media, environmentalists, NGOs, BNT, politicians, residents of Grand Bahama Island (GBI) and concerned citizens of the Bahamas...
Opinions
"Forget The Potential Environmental Issues With The Oban Deal" - Mar 18, 2018 - 7:20:36 AM

The Bahamas National Trust has come out strongly against the Oban Energies deal the Government has signed citing potential environmental damage to the nearby National Parks.

Their concerns are reasonable and coming from the country's most important environmental group add weight to the controversy surrounding this arrangement.

But the main reason to reject the deal is more fundamental than potential environmental fall out. The Rule Of Law comes to mind...
Opinions
Ryan Knowles Says Dual Stream to Drive Sales - Feb 12, 2018 - 6:47:18 PM

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A real estate agent whose sales total more than $70 million and who just completed his best year yet is predicting even better days ahead, projecting ‘a banner year for The Bahamas’ in 2018.

HG Christie superstar Ryan Knowles made the positive prediction yesterday, saying that two distinct factors point to overall success for the real estate market in both the Family Islands and New Providence.

“There are two independent engines that I believe will drive buyers to purchase in The Bahamas this year,” said Knowles...
Opinions
Rick Lowe: The Learning Crisis in The Bahamas - Feb 3, 2018 - 12:51:52 PM

In recent days the effects of the failure of many students to successfully learn Maths and English skills have been highlighted by an RBC Royal Bank executive.

His narrative is nothing new. In fact, The Nassau Institute published a public policy essay by its former Vice President, Ralph Massey on this subject in 2009.

For the first time taxpayers were able to see more than just the average results of all subjects and the details were startling.

Here's an excerpt.

"The English Language exam for the seven public high schools on New Providence
Opinions
Youri Kemp: President Trump’s ‘shithole’ comments unfortunately deserve follow up - Jan 12, 2018 - 7:18:39 PM

In a bi-partisan meeting with Democrat and Republican lawmakers on immigration and particularly on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) portion of the immigration reform package, in an unprecedented show of extreme ignorance and crassness, the president of the USA, Donald Trump, referred to Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as “shitholes.”

No further comment necessary, but I will comment anyway. I will because the overt stupidity of such a statement, particularly a statement made in the presence of Democrat and Republican lawmakers, shows how off the rails and loose with his mouth President Trump is...
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Opinions
Vaccine Maitri: Together We Emerge Stronger
Opinion - COVID-19 Pandemic: India’s response and global strategy
Opinion Editorial: COVID-19 Highlights Caribbean Community’s need to build resilience
Opinion: We must leverage the ‘Commonwealth Advantage’ to counter the economic fallout of COVID-19
Opinion: Coronavirus and climate disasters - Small vulnerable countries face dual threats
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